One of the world’s premier celebrations of cinema and innovative narrative styles, the Locarno Film Festival saw this year enlivened by the arrival of Bollywood’s reigning king, Shah Rukh Khan. The handsome and talented leading man of Indian cinema, often referred to as the ‘king’ of Bollywood, delivered yet again both to the viewers and the critics alike showing why he is still one of the biggest superstars of the silver screen today.
A Grand Entrance
One has to recall the impression Shah Rukh Khan made at the Locarno Film Festival, which indeed can be described as spectacular. When Turin reached the Piazza Grande, the central area of the festival, fans from all over the world came running up with enthusiasm. Spectators cheered his name, holding banners and banners with his picture, and wearing T-shirts with his portrait. This was clear proof of the supremacy of the superstar affection, which is above the bar of culture and geography.
Honoring an Icon
The festival was dedicated to the great career of Khan and the projection of some of his masterpieces. Among them, is Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) which not merely solidified the position of Khan in Bollywood as a leading actor, and but also may be counted as a phenomenon amongst the hearts of people in India as well as the Indian diaspora. Many responded to the screening of the film in the open-air Piazza Grande with the stars above their heads – the experience was reminiscent of the past when Indian cinema started to leave its mark on the world.
As a befitting honor, the festival also saw it fit to honor Shah Rukh Khan with an honorary award for his contribution to cinema. During his acceptance speech, Khan made humble remarks about receiving the award and thanked his fans and the many filmmakers and artists still out there who had contributed to his aspiring path. He did talk about the ability of cinema to bring human beings across the world together an issue that was dear to the festival.
The Implications of Indian Movies
Locarno Film Festival was the perfect platform in which the arrival of Khan made many realize the increased impact Indian films were having globally. Bollywood has in the recent past few decades penetrating markets way beyond the Indian subcontinent such as Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Northern America. The company has experienced phenomenal growth with the help of SRK, who is a brand ambassador of the company and is one of the faces of the company.
His films more often than not involve elements of drama, and romance together with social aspects that have found favors with a cross-section of the populace. During the festival, people who aspire to become filmmakers and film critics debated the changes that Bollywood has brought to the world’s cinematography. The oeuvre of Khan was praised for the genre variation where on one hand was My Name is Khan in 2010 and on the other Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998.
Synergies for the Future
Besides taking over the past success, Khan also talked about his plans for the future of cinema. He stressed on the role of narration in understanding world cultures and the role of the filmmakers to leverage on the diversified culture of the world as the world has shifted from the conventional theatre to the world wide Web streaming services. He said that he would like to expand in terms of the type of films, he produces, to experiment with new forms, and to collaborate with directors from various countries.
Bottom Line
This was not just a star-studded event of Shah Rukh Khan at the Locarno Film Festival but an orgasmic celebration of the power of cinema. How he translated that personal connection to the globe and his determination to remain true to the craft made him a true heir to the international throne. ‘Locarno, Shah Rukh Khan, SRK’ might have been the ringing chant when the festival ended, to say that he had participated at Locarno might have been a gross understatement.
