Shahrukh Khan receives a lifetime achievement award at the Locarno Film Festival.
Web Desk: Star Shah Rukh Khan gained another accolade to his already successful career. On August 10, he became the first Indian personality to receive a lifetime achievement award, the Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard, at the 77th Locarno Film Festival.
He wore a sleek black blazer and matching trousers to the event. The primary feature was his speech, which elicited repeated shouts from the audience. According to Variety, Khan began by appreciating the warm greeting he received.
“Thank you all for welcoming me with such wide arms—wider than the ones I do on screen,” he said, referring to his iconic open-armed posture.
He went on to laud the festival’s venue.
“It’s a really beautiful, very cultural, very artistic, and incredibly hot city of Locarno,” he commented, adding with a smile, “so many people crammed up in a small area and so hot. It’s exactly like being home in India.”
Khan then expressed his thoughts about movies.
“I genuinely believe that film has been the most meaningful and significant artistic medium of our time. I’ve had the privilege of being a part of this for many years, and the experience has taught me a few things,” he continued.
The actor emphasized the universality of art and cinema, saying, “Art is the act of affirming life above everything. It transcends all man-made boundaries to create a zone of liberation.
It does not need to be political. It does not have to be polemic. It is not necessary to deliver a sermon. It is not necessary to intellectualise. It is not necessary to moralise.”
He went on to explain, “Art and cinema merely need to communicate what they feel from the heart—their own reality. And it, to me, represents the pinnacle of creativity.”
Khan discussed his 35-year career in the film industry, including the variety of roles he has portrayed. “I’ve been a villain, I’ve been a champ, I’ve been a superhero, I’ve been a zero, I’ve been a rejected fan, and I’ve been a very, very resilient lover.”
The Jawan star closed his remarks by promising the audience that he would constantly test his limits.
It does not need to be political. It does not have to be polemic. It is not necessary to deliver a sermon. It is not necessary to intellectualise. It is not necessary to moralise.”
He went on to explain, “Art and cinema merely need to communicate what they feel from the heart—their own reality. And it, to me, represents the pinnacle of creativity.”
Khan discussed his 35-year career in the film industry, including the variety of roles he has portrayed. “I’ve been a villain, I’ve been a champ, I’ve been a superhero, I’ve been a zero, I’ve been a rejected fan, and I’ve been a very, very resilient lover.”
The Jawan star closed his remarks by promising the audience that he would constantly test his limits.
“With the promise that awards like this encourage me to keep on trying to embody all the facets of life, to embody all the emotions, and to try to give that one more take, one more shot, one more emotion, and hopefully a little bit of love, so that all of you feel a little joyful,” according to him.
As part of the Locarno tribute, the festival will also show Khan’s 2002 smash Devdas.
