“King Khan” ruled the Piazza Grande, the iconic big square in the center of picturesque Swiss town Locarno, on Saturday night. Bollywood icon brought his global star power to the of the as he was honored with a , the so-called Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard. The fans, including those in the 8,000 seats on the square and more in various spots around it, gave the star of films like , and a rousing ovation and thunderous applause.
Even when the big movie screen in the square first showed him arriving on the red carpet around 9:20 p.m. local time and shaking hands with Locarno artistic director Giona A.
Nazzaro, a roar went through the crowd. Just before 10 p.m.
, the screen showed a highlight video of many of Khan’s films, which drew constant cheers and other ecstatic reactions. Just minutes later, the star took to the stage to be showered in cheers, applause and screams of “I love you!” He received his honorary Golden Leopard award from Nazarro and thanked him and the evening’s host, Sandy Altermatt, who is also known for her work as a Swiss TV host. Khan shared with the audience how heavy the award was, drawing laughs.
Sweating due to the hot weather, he also told the excited crowd that he was happy to be in Locarno in a square full of people, and he was honored to be in Locarno, a “very beautiful, very cultural, very artistic and extremely hot city with so many people stuffed up in a little square and so hot.” He then joked: “It’s just like being ho.