Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, set to appear in his upcoming film ‘King,’ was honoured with a career achievement award at the 77th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. The actor, celebrated for both his on-screen charisma and sharp wit, delivered an acceptance speech that mixed sincere reflections on cinema with his signature humour, according to Variety. Speaking to an audience of 8,000 in Locarno’s Piazza Grande, Khan expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he received. Referencing his famous open-armed pose, he said: “Thank you all for welcoming me with such wide arms – wider than the ones I do on screen.” As per Variety, the actor went on to praise the festival’s location.
He said: “It’s a very beautiful, very cultural, very artistic, and extremely hot city of Locarno. So many people stuffed up in a little square and so hot. It’s just like being home in India.” The temperature touched 35 degrees Celsius, and Locarno and the Piazza Grande were humid as well. His speech took a more serious turn as he delved into his thoughts on cinema and creativity. He continued: “I truly believe cinema has been the most profound and influential artistic medium of our age. I’ve had the privilege of being part of this for many years, and this journey has taught me a few lessons.”
The actor emphasised the universal nature of art and filmmaking: “Art is the act of affirming life above all. It goes beyond every man-made boundary into a space of liberation. It need not be political. It need not be polemical. It need not sermonise. It need not intellectualise. It need not moralise.” “Art and cinema only need to say what it feels from the heart, to express its own truth. And that, to me, is the biggest creativity, honestly,” he added.
(With IANS inputs)
