Shah Rukh Khan | Photo Credit: Kunal Patil
Shah Rukh Khan will be honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, Pardo alla Carriera or Career Leopard, at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival.
He is also the first Indian personality to be awarded the ‘Pardo alla Carrier Ascona-Locarno Tourism’. Italian filmmaker Francesco Rossi, American singer-actor Harry Belafonte and Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang have previously received this honour.
Shah Rukh will return to the big screen in 2023 after a gap of five years PathanHe released two movies consecutively after the blockbuster action: Another action hit youngAnd DinkyA social drama.
Recognising Shah Rukh’s career, the festival will also screen his 2002 hit film. DevdasDirected by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film also stars Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh will also be taking part in a public Q&A session at Forum @ Spazio Cinema on August 11, giving fans and festival-goers a chance to connect with their favourite actor.
Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, expressed her delight at welcoming Shah Rukh Khan, describing it as “a dream come true”. Nazzaro praised Khan for the “richness and breadth of his contributions” to Indian cinema, and highlighted his ability to stay connected with his audience. “Khan is a king who has never lost touch with his audience who crowned him. This brave and daring artist has always been willing to challenge himself, while staying true to what his fans around the world expect from his films. A true people’s hero, sophisticated and grounded, Shah Rukh Khan is a legend of our time,” Nazzaro commented.
According to the festival’s website, the Pardo alla carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism pays tribute to one or more personalities whose artistic contributions have redefined cinema and the collective imagination. In addition to the awards ceremony on Piazza Grande, the tribute also includes interaction with the audience and a small retrospective.
The Padma Shri awardee has worked in over 100 feature films and has been awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Legion d’Honneur by the French government. The 58-year-old actor will be presented with the award on August 10 at the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Switzerland.
The Locarno Film Festival will run from 7 to 17 August.
