As Shah Rukh Khan steps onto the stage at the Locarno Film Festival to receive his career achievement award, it marks another milestone in a vocation that has spanned three decades and redefined Indian cinema on the world stage.

Khan, often referred to by his initials SRK, has been a dominant force in Bollywood since his breakthrough role in the 1993 thriller “Baazigar.” His charisma and versatility quickly established him as a leading man, with romantic comedies like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (1995) cementing his status as Bollywood’s “King of Romance.”

Throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, Khan’s star power seemed unstoppable. He delivered a string of box office hits, including “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (1998), “Devdas” (2002), and “Kal Ho Naa Ho” (2003). These films not only dominated the domestic market but also found significant audiences in the Indian diaspora, helping to expand Bollywood’s global footprint. Notably, his 1998 film “Dil Se” became the first Indian film to break into the U.K. box office top 10, signaling Bollywood’s growing international appeal.