Mumbai, 2 July

Shah Rukh Khan is set to receive the prestigious lifetime achievement award, the Pardo alla Carriera, or career leopard, at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival.

He is also the first Indian personality to be honoured with the 'Pardo alla Carriere Ascona-Locarno Tourism'. Italian filmmaker Francesco Rosi, American singer-actor Harry Belafonte, and Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang are the previous recipients.

Shah Rukh returned to the big screen after a five-year gap in 2023 with Pathaan. He followed up the blockbuster actioner with back-to-back two releases: another action hit Jawan, and Dunki, a social drama.

In recognition of his career, the festival will also screen Shah Rukh’s 2002 hit Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Shah Rukh will also participate in a public Q&A session at the Forum @Spazio Cinema on August 11, offering fans and festival-goers an opportunity to engage with the beloved actor.

Locarno Film Festival’s artistic director, Giona A. Nazzaro, expressed his excitement about welcoming Shah Rukh Khan, describing it as “a dream come true.” Nazzaro praised Khan for the “wealth and breadth of his contribution” to Indian cinema, highlighting his ability to stay connected with his audience. “Khan 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,” Nazzaro remarked.

According to the festival's website, the 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.

A Padma Shri recipient, Shah Rukh has appeared in over 100 feature films and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Légion d’honneur conferred by the Government of France.The 58-year-old actor will receive the award on August 10 at the Piazza Grande, located in Locarno, Switzerland.

The Locarno Film Festival runs from 7 to 17 August.