Shah Rukh Khan Honored at Locarno Film Festival with Prestigious Award

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was honored with the Pardo alla Carriera award at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. He is the first Indian to receive this accolade, celebrated for his significant contributions to cinema. The festival included a screening of his film 'Devdas' and a public Q&A session.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was his usual charming and witty self at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, where he received the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera award for his contribution to cinema.

The 58-year-old actor is the first Indian personality to be honored with the award, presented at the jam-packed Piazza Grande square on Saturday night.

In his acceptance speech, Shah Rukh expressed gratitude to the audience and the festival's artistic director, Giona A Nazzaro, for the warm welcome. He humorously noted the city's heat and likened it to India, thanked everyone for the wonderful last two evenings, and shared personal anecdotes about his culinary adventures in Italy. Midway, an audience member's love proclamation added a light-hearted moment. Shah Rukh concluded by joking about the award's pronunciation and acknowledged previous winners with respect, before wrapping up with traditional Indian words of gratitude.

As part of his recognition, the festival screened Shah Rukh's 2002 hit 'Devdas.' Shah Rukh, who returned to cinema in 2023 with 'Pathaan,' 'Jawan,' and 'Dunki' after a five-year hiatus, will also engage with fans in a public Q&A session on Sunday at the Forum @Spazio Cinema.

Previous recipients of the Pardo alla Carriera award include Italian filmmaker Francesco Rosi, American singer-actor Harry Belafonte, and Malaysian director Tsai Ming-Liang.