Saif Ali Khan did not want to receive Padma Shri Award

Saif Ali Khan has spoke out about the Padma Shri he was awarded in 2010 and said he did not want to receive it.

Times of India reports the actor saying that he did not deserve the honour and had an initial instinct not to accept it. However, his change of heart was down to his father, late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who felt that he (Saif) couldn�۪t say ��no�۪ to the government.

Khan told the publication, ���it was a case of nepotism with the Congress government showering undue love on him�۝.

���I plead innocence on these counts but I’m embarrassed to flaunt the Padma Shri. I got a letter from the government that the positives outweigh the negatives. I can argue that despite my family background, I made my way on my own, created an urban, multiplex hero, but that’s pathetic�۝, Saif added.

He further said, ���I only accepted the honour when two-three names in the list of recipients caught my eye. I thought if the honour could be given to them, they could give it to me too.”

Khan will be seen in ‘Phantom’ opposite Katrina Kaif later this month.