At the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, Indian superstar and global icon Shah Rukh Khan will be awarded with the Festival’s career achievement award, the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism. The Award will pay tribute to his remarkable career in Indian cinema consisting of more than 100 films in a breathtaking multitude of genres.
Popularly known in India as ‘King Khan’ – the emperor (‘Baadshah’) of Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan has become a living symbol portraying the vibrance and vitality of Indian cinema. The actor will receive the award on the evening of Saturday, August 10 on Piazza Grande. In addition, a key film from Khan’s career – Devdas (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2002) – will be screened during the Festival, and SRK will appear at the Forum @Spazio Cinema for a conversation open to the public on Sunday, August 11.
Many of Shah Rukh Khan’s films are loved globally and have made him a hugely popular name amongst audiences around the world, leading him to represent his country and many of his films across numerous prestigious film festivals across the globe.
His breakout role was in the romantic thriller Baazigar (1993), where Khan starred as a murderous but sympathetic anti-hero on a quest for vengeance. A few years later he would be propelled to superstar status on the back of a timeless romantic drama, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), and a love-story across timelines, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). At the same time, the enormity of this new found fame did not deter Khan from taking on roles that were different and much ahead of their times, such as Rahul in Darr (1993), a romantic psychological thriller directed by Yash Chopra, or as a journalist who falls in love with a terrorist in the epic Dil Se.. (1998) by Mani Ratnam.
In the subsequent two decades, Khan’s career would feature high-profile collaborations with some of India’s most prominent directors and stars, leading to tremendous recognition internationally as well. Khan was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007 and the Légion d’honneur in 2014 by the French government. Shah Rukh Khan’s recent releases include three films that released in 2023, Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki, all of which were huge commercial successes and garnered immense appreciation from global audiences. Jawan, produced by Khan’s own production house, Red Chillies Entertainement, has entered history books as the highest grossing Hindi film ever, reaffirming the actor’s status as one of the most beloved Indian stars of his generation.
Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival: “To welcome a living legend like Shah Rukh Khan in Locarno is a dream come true! The wealth and breadth of his contribution to Indian cinema is unprecedented. Khan is a king who has never lost touch with the audience that crowned him. This brave and daring artist has always been willing to challenge himself while remaining true to what his fans all over the world eagerly expect from his films. A true ‘people’s hero’, sophisticated and down to earth, Shah Rukh Khan is a legend of our times.”
