The actor's acceptance speech from the festival has been widely circulated online.
Published Aug 11, 2024 | 9:39 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 11, 2024 | 9:52 PM
Shah Rukh Khan, at the event, emphasised that art transcends boundaries. (X)
Shah Rukh Khan made a memorable appearance at the 77th Locarno Film Festival on 10 August where he received a career achievement award.
Addressing an audience of 8,000 at the Piazza Grande, Shah Rukh began his speech with a nod to his famous open-armed pose, saying, “Thank you all for welcoming me with such wide arms—wider than the ones I do on screen.”
The Bollywood actor commented on Locarno’s heat and crowd, likening it to India.
“It’s a very beautiful, cultural, artistic, and extremely hot city… so many people stuffed into a little square. It’s just like being home in India.” His remark, made on a day when temperatures hit 35°C, drew laughs from the crowd.
Shah Rukh then shared his thoughts on cinema, calling it “the most profound and influential artistic medium of our age.”
He emphasised that art transcends boundaries and doesn’t need to be political, polemical, or moralising, adding, “There is no creativity without love, a language understood worldwide.”
King Khan comes to town. Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival for our Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism.
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Photo by Davide Padovan, produced in collaboration with BaseCamp Festival#Locarno77 pic.twitter.com/Yu01WaBp6A— Locarno Film Festival (@FilmFestLocarno) August 10, 2024
In a humorous moment, Shah Rukh joked about the challenge of pronouncing his award’s name, renaming it the “Leopard Award for being the most awesome in the world, in the history of humility and kindness and goodness.”
Festival director Giona A Nazzaro praised Khan’s impact, saying, “He’s been carrying the dreams and hopes of so many people through his wonderful work ethic and discipline.”
Shah Rukh concluded with a pledge to keep exploring diverse roles and emotions, receiving rapturous applause. He playfully requested, “Can you keep a shorter name? Just like, ‘arrivederci.’”
We are in conversation with #ShahRukhKhan! Watch it now in livestream on our YouTube channel.
— Locarno Film Festival (@FilmFestLocarno) August 11, 2024
Meanwhile, a video of Shah Rukh seemingly pushing a man at the festival sparked controversy on X.
The clip showed the actor seemingly pushing a man aside during a photo session.
One user commented, “He pushed that old man. Shame on you, Shah Rukh Khan,” while another added, “I always knew he wasn’t a nice person; he just tries to act like one.”
Despite the criticism, Shah Rukh charmed the audience with his signature charisma. His stylish black blazer and matching trousers drew widespread praise.
Shah Rukh Khan’s most recent film, Dunki, was his first collaboration with director Rajkumar Hirani. Released last December, the movie also starred Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu, and Boman Irani.
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)
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