Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan told fans it was “nice to be back” after winning the Best Actor award at the Indian International Film Academy Awards.
Khan was referring to his return to films in 2023 after a four-year hiatus.
“I think this year I’m a little bit happy with the audience because I’m working (back) after a long time,” he announced to the crowd at a star-studded show in Abu Dhabi.
Khan, a familiar name in India, is also one of the country’s most loved stars with millions of fans at home and abroad.
Not only did he win the award for his role in the action thriller Jawan but he also co-hosted the event in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a city with a large Indian population.
Fireworks greeted his appearance on stage, and entire event were flooded with tributes to him.
“I love awards, I’m greedy for awards,” he declared. “I just wanted to tell you it’s good to be back.”
Khan’s return to the big screen was Bollywood’s biggest success story last year. He also played the lead role in the spy film Pathaan.
These roles – in which he portrayed a rugged action hero – mark the departure of the 58-year-old who, over three decades of his film career, was best known as a gentle romantic hero.
His return to the big screen comes after a series of setbacks in his personal and professional life. These include the arrest of his son Aryan Khan for possession of fake drugs – The charges were eventually dropped – and some films were not successful.
But stepping away from the spotlight doesn’t seem to have diminished his popularity. Charming and funny, the actor is often described as Bollywood’s “most important cultural export”, with millions of fans affectionately calling him King Khan or the King of Bollywood.
Other Bollywood superstars also attended the event on Saturday, including Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol.
Mukerji won best actress for child custody drama Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway while Vidhu Vinod Chopra won best director for 12th Failure.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal won six awards, including Best Film and Best Supporting Actor for Anil Kapoor.
Bollywood, India’s dominant film business, produces hundreds of films each year and has a huge global following among Indians.
But like the rest of the world, it has seen its ups and downs since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered cinemas for months and prompted many to turn to streaming services. It has yet to return to its former glory.
This year has been especially difficult due to lackluster sources of new film releases.
In comparison, 2023 is an excellent year, thanks in part to the return of “King Khan.”
This is the third time Abu Dhabi has hosted the event, which lasts for three days this year.
Karan Johar co-chaired the ceremony along with Khan. The famous filmmaker also won a special award marking his 25th year in cinema.
