Saif Ali Khan feels he doesn't deserve state award, but is grateful

Mumbai, Feb 1 (ANI): Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan candidly said that he didn't deserve the nation's prestigious civilian award, Padma Shri, for the year 2010.

Addressing a conference here for the automobile brand Chevrolet on Sunday, Khan said that he was honoured by the Indian government, and he would gratefully accept the award and would live up to it.

"I think I am a little young for the honour. I think there are many more people senior than me who are more deserving of this honour. But it's a government honour. It's not something that I have asked for but it's something I will gratefully accept and hopefully, in a few years, I would live up to it. I will try my best to keep it in my mind that it's something to live up to," said Saif Ali Khan.

The announcement of Saif Ali Khan was one of the Padma Shri awardees triggered off a controversy.

In reply to this controversy, Saif said that as people had accepted him earlier as a National Award winner for romantic comedy 'Hum Tum', they may also accept him as a Padma Shri winner in future.

"Sometimes these decisions are a little controversial. I believe when I won the National Award also, there was certain amount of controversy but now if you look back, I don't think there is any controversy. I think you will feel I deserve a National award, maybe not for 'Hum Tum', may be for 'Omkara'. So similarly, you will feel I don't deserve a Padma Shri now, but maybe in a few years that will change also," he added.

Wildlife activists and the members of Bishnoi community had protested against the award being given to Saif Ali Khan, after he was sentenced to a year in jail for shooting blackbucks near Bhawad village in Jodhpur district in October 1998. (ANI)