Leeds: Indian film veterans Amitabh Bachchan, Yash Chopra and Shabana Azmi were awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Leeds Metropolitan University here yesterday morning.
The awards function was held at the newly restored Great Hall on the university's Headingley campus.
The university has recently forged close links with India and the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) and has several students from India.
Bachchan has also received an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, Leicester.
Prominent among those present on the occasion yesterday were members of the Bachchan family - his son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya and daughter Shweta Nanda.
During the ongoing IIFA weekend, the university also awarded an honorary doctorate in Business Administration to India's Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.
Leeds Metropolitan University's partnership with IIFA offers students and staff the chance to rub shoulders with the leading lights of Indian cinema, particularly through the university's Northern Film School.
