Shah Rukh Khan roars at Locarno, honoured with Lifetime Award in Switzerland

SWITZERLAND: The legendary “King Khan,” Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, took centre stage at the Piazza Grande, the iconic square in the charming Swiss town of Locarno. He attended the 77th Locarno Film Festival, where he was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, known as the Pardo alla Carriera or Career Leopard.

The square, which seats 8,000 people, was packed with fans who gave Khan a standing ovation as he arrived. The excitement soared when the giant screen in the square showed him arriving on the red carpet around 9:20 pm, shaking hands with Locarno’s artistic director, Giona A Nazzaro, prompting cheers from the crowd.

When Khan took the stage to accept his award, he lightened the mood by joking about how heavy the award was, making the audience laugh. He also playfully complained about the heat before expressing how deeply honoured he felt to be in Locarno, surrounded by so many people.

Khan thanked his fans, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for welcoming me with such wide arms — wider than the ones I do onscreen.” Reflecting on his career, he added, “For 35 years, I’ve been a villain, a champ, a superhero, a zero, a detective fan, and a very, very resilient lover.”

He ended his speech with a smile, admitting, “I usually don’t attend events like this. I’m not sure how to relate to people or talk to them. I just know how to act a little bit — not too much.”

As part of the festival’s tribute to Khan, they are also screening his 2002 hit film “Devdas,” directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, where he plays a heartbroken alcoholic.

At 58, Shah Rukh Khan remains a major box office star and a representative of Indian cinema. Since his breakout roles in “Baazigar” (1993) and “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (1995), he has been a force in the industry. His portrayal of a man with Asperger’s Syndrome in “My Name Is Khan” (2010) is another standout performance.

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Last year, Khan headlined three blockbusters: “Pathaan,” “Jawan,” and “Dunki.” By some estimates, “Jawan,” directed by Atlee Kumar, became the highest-grossing Hindi film ever, earning nearly $140 million.