New Delhi:
Shah Rukh Khan carries his charm everywhere. The star once again made his fans proud by becoming the first Indian to receive the Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism Award at the Locarno Film Festival. King Khan displayed his acknowledged wit during his acceptance speech for the 77th edition of the prestigious film festival when he struggled to pronounce the name of the award. In a humorous way, the megastar said, “This award here that I’ve tried in my life… I can’t pronounce.” Then he playfully renamed the award – “Leopard Award, the best. great in the world, in the history of humility, kindness and goodness.” Too good, SRK, too good.
Even towards the end of his speech, Shah Rukh Khan tried to pronounce the name of the award one more time but still struggled. He laughed and said, “Can you keep a shorter name? Just like ‘arrivederci.’
While on stage, Shah Rukh Khan also spoke about his roles in a career spanning over three and a half decades. He said: “I’ve been a villain, I’ve been a champion, I’ve been a superhero, I’ve been a zero, I’ve been a rejected fan and I’ve been a very, very persistent lover.”
Talking about the connection between creativity and emotions, Shah Rukh Khan added, “There is no creativity without love, which is a language that transcends all languages and is understood by everyone around the world. So creativity, love and giving joy to me are one and the same.”
Locarno Film Festival Director Giona A. Nazzaro explained why Shah Rukh Khan was chosen to receive this honor. “The reason we wanted to award Shah Rukh Khan is because he is a great artist. He has carried the dreams and hopes of so many people through his amazing work ethic and discipline. He made all the dreams of many, many, many of us come true,” he said.
In terms of work, Shah Rukh Khan was last seen Dunk. The film was her first collaboration with director Rajkumar Hirani. The film released in December last year also featured Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu and Boman Irani in key roles. Click here to read NDTV movie review Dunk.