Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is all set to be felicitated with the Excellence in Cinema Awards on August 8 at the Awards Night of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Khan is also the Chief Guest at the festival. Helmed by the Victorian government, Australia, the IFFM is back for its 10th edition in the cultural city and will celebrate "courage" as its central theme in 2019.
SRK will be presented the award by the excellency Linda Dessau, who is also the first female Governor of the State of Victoria. The felicitation will take place at the iconic Palais Theatre in Melbourne, which is one of the city's heritage landmarks.
In keeping with IFFM's theme of celebrating courage, the festival wants to pay tribute to Khan's continuous contribution to cinema and popular culture in India with this award.
Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange says, "When we think of one of the pioneers of Hindi cinema, Khan's contribution ranks amongst the highest. He has established Hindi cinema as a global phenomenon, leaving an impact on millions across the world. We are looking forward to the evening and to be conferring him with this honour. He's an iconic figure for Indian cinema and this honour is in tandem with his tremendous years of contribution".
Speaking about the felicitation, Khan says, "I'm humbled and honoured for this recognition. It will be a great experience to share the stage and the podium with my fellow industry members who are all coming from various parts of India to celebrate cinema in Melbourne. I look forward to meeting her excellency, Linda Dessau at the wonderful evening that has been planned by IFFM."
