Shah Rukh Khan is slated to receive the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera, the career achievement award from the Locarno Film Festival. The festival’s official site announced on Tuesday that this accolade will honor the Bollywood superstar’s ‘remarkable career in Indian cinema’.
Shah Rukh will be presented with the award on August 10 at the open-air venue Piazza Grande. Additionally, one of his most acclaimed films, Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will be screened during the festival. Shah Rukh is also scheduled to participate in a conversation at the Forum @Spazio Cinema on August 11.
In a statement, Giona A. Nazzaro, the Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, expressed, “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.”
Notable past recipients of this award include Tsai Ming-liang, Claudia Cardinale, Johnnie To, Francesco Rosi, Harry Belafonte, and Jane Birkin.
Shah Rukh enjoyed a blockbuster year in 2023, with three consecutive releases after a four-year hiatus. He made a triumphant return to the big screen with YRF’s Pathaan and subsequently collaborated with Atlee for Jawan. Both films were massive hits, setting box office records and ranking among the highest-grossing films of the year. Shah Rukh’s final release of 2023 was Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki.