Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is referred to as King Khan in India, has added another achievement to his resume. On Saturday, August 10, at Piazza Grande, the actor will receive the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism Award at the 77th Locarno Film Festival. A pivotal movie in Khan's career, Devdas (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2002), will be shown during the festival. On Sunday, August 11, SRK will participate in a public discussion at the Forum Spazio Cinema.
As a result of the widespread acclaim and popularity of his films, Shah Rukh Khan has been invited to represent his nation and a number of his productions at major international film festivals. Over the course of the next twenty years, Khan's career included high-profile partnerships with some of India's most well-known actors and directors, which helped him gain enormous recognition abroad. The French government granted Khan the Légion d'honneur in 2014 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007.
Three of Shah Rukh Khan's most recent releases, Pathaan (2023), Jawan (2023), and Dunki (2023), were all huge commercial successes and received a ton of praise from viewers all over the world. Produced by Khan's own company, Red Chillies Entertainment Jawan (2023) has become the highest-grossing Hindi film in history, solidifying the actor's place as one of the most adored Indian stars of his era.
Here's what the artistic director of the 77th Locarno Film Festival has to say about SRK.
Giona A. Nazzaro, the artistic director, expressed that he is thrilled to have Shah Rukh Khan visit Locarno, calling him a living legend. His impact on Indian cinema is unparalleled in terms of both its scope and wealth. Khan is a monarch who has remained in constant communication with the people who installed him. This fearless filmmaker has never shied away from taking risks as long as he stays loyal to the high standards that his admirers demand. Shah Rukh Khan is a modern legend, a sophisticated and grounded people's hero, according to Nazzaro.
Previous winners of the Pardo alla Carriera have included Dante Spinotti (famous Two-time Oscar-nominated Italian cinematographer), Costa-Gavras (Greek-French director, known for highly political works, such as 1969’s “Z,” about the military’s coup d’etat in Greece, which won the foreign film Oscar), and, in 2023, Tsai Ming-Liang ( for his, minimalist approach - rigorous and sensual, always alert to new languages of expression, contemporary art), and others like Francesco Rosi, Claude Goretta, Bruno Ganz, Claudia Cardinale, Johnnie To, Harry Belafonte, Peter-Christian Fueter, Sergio Castellitto, Víctor Erice, Marlen Khutsiev, Bulle Ogier, Mario Adorf, Jane Birkin, Fredi M. Murer have also been awarded with this prestigious award.