Bollywood film producer Sajid Nadiadwala was awarded France’s prestigious Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) on Tuesday. The honour is conferred on distinguished artists who are known for their creativity in the field of art, culture and literature or for their contribution to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world.
French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler conferred the honour in recognition of Nadiadwala’s contribution to boosting Indo-French partnership in cinema. “I am very thankful to the French embassy for the honour that they have conferred upon me,” Nadiadwala said in a statement. His production Tamasha was shot widely in France’s picturesque Corsica island.
“France is a beautiful country which is not completely tapped into, in our films. Shooting there has been such a delight thanks to the cooperation from them. Looking forward to associating with them more in the near future,” Nadiadwala added.
Some noted Indian recipients of this honour in the past include the late Sivaji Ganesan, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and most recently, Kamal Haasan.
Beginning with the 1992 Govinda-starrer Zulm Ki Hukumat, Nadiadwala has produced over 20 films. Highway that he co-produced with Imtiaz Ali in 2014, has won several Filmfare awards. He made his directorial debut with his 2014 film, Kick. His next production, Rangoon starring Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor, and Kangana Ranaut, is slated for release in 2017.
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Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who has worked in four of Nadiadwala’s films including Kick, was present among the attendees at the presentation ceremony. “It’s a very well deserved honor. He has been in the industry for a long time and has made many blockbuster hits. His hit ratio is so high. For me, as someone who has known and worked in his films, it’s a proud feeling. Whenever we work with Sajid, it feels we are working with a friend and spontaneously our best comes out in his films,” she remarked.