2 Feb 2009, But even they must not have been prepared for Aishwarya Bachchan’s response when they conferred their prestigious Officer Dan Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres honour on the pretty Bollywood actress. 

“Thank-you, but not now,” is what Ash is reported to have told the French government when its second highest civilian award was announced in her name. Incidentally, this honour has been conferred earlier on Hollywood actors Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. And, on Shah Rukh Khan as well. There’s only one higher French civilan honour — the Legion d’honour which father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, Satyajit Ray and Pandit Ravi Shankar have received. 

However, Ash was not turning down the French award. She was just putting it off until her ailing father, Krishna Raj Rai, was well enough to attend the award ceremony. “I wanted my entire family — and that includes my parents, brother, sister-in-law, my husband and his parents, sister and brother-in-law — to be there. My father has been unwell and I wanted him to be there at this important moment,” said Ash. “It will be a glorious moment. But not without my father!” Now that Krishna is well enough, Ash has asked the French government to go ahead with the ceremony. It is likely to be held in Paris when the actress attends the world premiere of her film, Pink Panther 2. “My father will have to brave the long flight. There’s a long list of dos and don’ts for him. But worth it, don’t you think,”Ash said.