Locarno: At the prestigious Locarno Film Festival today, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be honoured with the festival’s Honorary Leopard Achievement Award.
The film world is abuzz with anticipation as Khan, known for his commanding screen presence and charismatic performances, receives this distinguished recognition.
In the lead-up to the event, the Locarno Film Festival has released a striking poster featuring Shah Rukh Khan.
Shared on the festival’s official Instagram account, the poster showcases Khan in a sleek black blazer and matching trousers, exuding an air of sophistication.
The addition of his signature long hair, a stylish wristwatch, and a pendant necklace further enhances his elegant look.
Giona A Nazzaro, the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, expressed his admiration for Khan, stating, “Shah Rukh Khan is the quintessential power of cinema. There is no cynicism, there is no manipulation. Just this basic faith that you can tell a story through your persona and touch on the very profound building blocks of emotions,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Nazzaro likened Khan’s cinematic presence to that of iconic stars from both the past and present, noting the blend of “the popular glamour of a hero of the working class, like Marcello Mastroianni,” with the “elegance” of figures such as Alain Delon.
Khan will be honoured with the festival’s lifetime achievement award, the Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism, on August 10.
He is also scheduled to participate in a Q and A session on August 11, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In tribute to Khan’s illustrious career, the festival will screen Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 film ‘Devdas’, in which Khan plays a wealthy law graduate whose life unravels following family rejection and personal turmoil.
Nazzaro praised ‘Devdas’ as a quintessential example of Khan’s impact, highlighting how his performances resonate universally even when viewed in their original context without subtitles.
Nazzaro emphasized Khan’s unique position in global cinema, stating, “Khan embodies the true unmistakable elements of Indian cinema, blending music, dance, and narrative mythologies with modern technology to create a unique cinematic experience.” He further remarked on Khan’s ability to capture the essence of storytelling, noting, “In Shah Rukh Khan, you see a man who can move mountains with just one slo-mo shot,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Previous recipients of Locarno’s Honorary Leopard include Tsai Ming-liang, Francesco Rosi, Claudia Cardinale, Johnnie To, Harry Belafonte, Mario Adorf, Jane Birkin, and Costa-Gavras.
The award comes on the heels of SRK’s highly successful 2023, which saw the release of his three blockbusters ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki,’ all of which were huge hits.
The actor will reportedly begin shooting for his upcoming film ‘King.’ Recently, a video of SRK was widely shared on social media where eagle-eyed fans noticed the film’s script lying on the table beside him.
Reportedly, the film is also set to star Shah Rukh’s daughter and actor, Suhana.
The video happened to be from a clip of Shah Rukh congratulating cinematographer Santosh Sivan after he received the prestigious Pierre Angenieux Excel Lens Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. In the aforementioned video, a section of the Internet spotted the script of ‘King’ on the table next to him.
It also contained some additional details on its cover, which were not clearly visible in the video.
If reports are to be believed, ‘King’ will be directed by Sujoy Ghosh.
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