Since 2010, the Locarno Film Festival's Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism pays tribute to one or more personalities whose artistic contributions have redefined cinema and the collective imagination. In addition to the Awards ceremony on the Piazza Grande, the tribute also comprises a conversation with the audience and a small retrospective.
Popularly known in India as ‘King Khan’ – the emperor (‘Baadshah’) of Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan has, over a singular thirty-year career, become a living symbol of the vibrance and vitality of Hindi-language cinema, an embodiment of a complex, secular India.
“To welcome a living legend like Shah Rukh Khan in Locarno is a dream come true. The wealth and breadth of his contribution to Hindi-language cinema is unprecedented – Kahn 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.”
Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director
