Fans pictured at the Locarno Film Festival
How far fans can travel for Shah Rukh Khan? From Washington DC to Switzerland. Yes, Marush and Nibila - two true-blue fans of Shah Rukh Khan couldn't let the opportunity go in vain as soon as they came to know about the Locarno Film Festival. NDTV's Abira Dhar had a lovely chat with the women, who breathe Shah Rukh Khan, on the sidelines of the film festival. The fans made a book of Shah Rukh Khan's pictures, from his illustrious career spanning over the years. They would get it signed once they met their man of dreams. Not only that, a woman between them has only Shah Rukh Khan's pictures saved on her phone screen saver. When asked which films made them fall in love with Shah Rukh Khan, Marush said, "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Saw it more than 100 times. I am his no 1 fan," while Nibila said she first saw Baazigar and she fell in love with him after watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
When asked to share a message for Shah Rukh Khan, the women told NDTV, "You are the best. We love you. We are your best friends, no 1 fans."
After receiving the prestigious Pardo Alla Carriera Award, Shah Rukh Khan expressed his gratitude in front of a packed hall comprising 8000 crowd. "Thank you all for welcoming me with such wide arms - wider than the ones I do on screen," he said referring to his signature pose.
Sharing his thoughts on cinema and creativity, Shah Rukh Khan said, "I truly believe cinema has been the most profound and influential artistic medium of our age," he said. "I've had the privilege of being part of this for many years, and this journey has taught me a few lessons."
"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 sermonize. It need not intellectualize. It need not moralize." He continued, "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.
Established in 1946, the Locarno Film Festival is one of the world's oldest annual film festivals. This year, it will screen 225 films, including 104 world premieres and 15 debut movies. Shah Rukh Khan made a stellar comeback last year with three big releases. He started the year with Pathaan. The winning streak continued with Jawan, one of the highest grossing Hindi films of all the time. He ended the year with Dunki in which he collaborated with Rajkumar Hirani for the first time.