Mumbai: King Khan is back and how! The Bollywood icon known for his charismatic screen presence and enduring style, made waves with his new look at the IIFA 2024 pre-event held in Mumbai on Tuesday evening.
After a lengthy period of sporting long locks for his recent films, Khan turned heads by debuting a sleek, short hairstyle, as he arrived in style at the IIFA 2024 pre-event.
At the pre-event, King Khan dazzled in a funky ensemble. He opted for a black graphic t-shirt paired with funky black flare pants and white sneakers. Completing the look was a black baseball cap, adding a touch of casual cool to his revamped appearance.
This new style marks a departure from his signature long hair, which he maintained while preparing for his blockbuster film ‘Pathaan,’ released in 2023.
Khan’s long hair had been a defining feature in his recent public appearances, including his appearance at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding festivities, where he sported a ponytail and a bold beard.
Addressing the media at the press conference alongside filmmaker Karan Johar, Khan expressed his excitement for the upcoming IIFA awards.
“Thank you IIFA for having me,” he began with his characteristic humor. “No, I’m not, I’m joking. I would have loved to always come, but unfortunately, for some reason or the other, I was working at the point of time when IIFA is being hosted all around the world, which makes us very, very proud.”
Khan playfully lamented his past scheduling conflicts, noting, “I’ve always had to beg myself off saying, listen, it’s my shooting, where are you doing it sometimes, Toronto, Vancouver, Malaysia. Do it here or do it in Borivali. Do it in Film City, like other people do here.”
He lauded IIFA’s vision of expanding its celebration of Indian cinema, mentioning the inclusion of multiple regional languages.
“The vision is big. IIFA has always thought of taking Indian cinema. And now with the inclusion of Malayalam and Kannada and Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema, I think, mashallah, this is even more Indian than it has ever been before,” he added.
The IIFA Awards 2024, set to be held from September 27 to 29 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, promises a weekend filled with glitz and glamour.
This year’s hosts include the comeback of Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, and Vicky Kaushal.
The awards night will feature performances by Bollywood stars such as Rekha, Shahid Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Kriti Sanon, and Janhvi Kapoor.
Additionally, the “IIFA Rocks” segment on September 29 will be hosted by Siddhant Chaturvedi and Abhishek Banerjee, featuring performances by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Honey Singh.
In addition to his high-profile IIFA appearance, Khan has recently been in the spotlight for his achievements in cinema.
At the 77th Locarno Film Festival, he was honoured with the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard, recognizing his outstanding contributions to film.
During a conversation with Giona A Nazzaro, the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, he discussed his career and achievements. He opened up on his preparation work for his next film ‘King’ and his collaboration with filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh.
He said, “There are certain kinds of film that I want to do, maybe it’s more age centric and I want to try something for 6-7 years I’ve been thinking about it and I mentioned it to Sujoy one day while we were sitting. He works with us at our office, he’s made some films for us. He says, Sir, I have a subject.”
SRK also spoke about losing weight for his film ‘King’, “The next film I am doing ‘King’, I have to start working on it, have to lose some weight, do some stretching,” he added.
Reportedly, the film is also set to star Shah Rukh’s daughter and actor, Suhana.
Khan will also lend his voice to the Hindi version of Disney’s anticipated release, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King,’ set to hit Indian theatres on December 20.
The film will feature Shah Rukh Khan alongside his sons Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan, promising to bring a fresh layer of grandeur to the beloved tale of the jungle’s ultimate king.
