Watching Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Access All Areas concert unfurl in Dubai on Sunday night was like watching two strangers go on their first blind date. Here the partners involved were Khan, Bollywood’s king of romance, and thousands of swooning female fans.
But like any dinner date, the evening had its share of awkward moments (a frenzied fan who stormed the stage during the finale and tried to bear-hug Khan was plucked away unceremoniously by beefy security guards), euphoria (when Khan doled out tips to men in Dubai on how to romance a woman) and random twists (an ardent fan told him she had orchestrated the birth of her son for Khan’s birthday). Say what? (our thoughts, exactly).
But the credit here goes to the 48-year-old superstar who carefully unleashed all the drama, remaining unflinching throughout; a puppetmaster who played the crowd with moves that he knew would evoke the loudest of claps and catcalls. Even when Hazel Coutinho (the lady who had spent days negotiating with her unborn son to arrive on Khan’s birthday, November 2nd) went down on her knees and proposed to him with a dialogue that said that universe was conspiring to unite these two lovers (from his blockbuster, Om Shanti Om), he said: ‘darling, you had me at hello’. The crowds roared their approval.
His appeal had quadrupled since his questionable entry onto the stage. Wearing a hoodie and a thick cape, Khan kicked off his song and dance extravaganza as the hardened criminal character from his hit Don franchise. The tracks that he chose for his introductory act were fast-paced: Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se and Criminal from Ra.One. Fireworks exploded around him as he jumped around from one corner of the stage to the other, thrust his hips at the right intervals and uttered iconic dialogues from his blockbusters. It worked better when he ditched the baddie and played the role of the consummate ladies man — just ask Dubai-based bank executive Keerti, a fan invited onstage. With a snap of his fingers, he arranged a white wedding dress for her and serenaded her with hits such as Aankhon Mein Teri (from Om Shanti Om) and poetic verses from director Yash Chopra’s swan song, Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
“Now, can I get a $10 million (Dh36.7 million) loan from Barclays?,” he joked.
While the second half of the show was pitch perfect, the first half had its share of teething problems. The show, which kicked off at 9.30pm sharp (organisers Duvent, take a bow), faced crowd-control issues. Hundreds surged forward to get a closer look at Khan, which meant that those seated in the VIP section couldn’t see what was happening onstage.
Meera Pagarani, who walked out after the first part of the show, said she was disappointed.
“If there are so many people crowding in front of us, how are we supposed to see anything? I had such a tough time finding parking and getting in here. I had to walk for 45 minutes before I reached the venue and now this?,” said Pagarani.
In a statement on Monday, organisers Duvent addressed the issue, adding that 18,000 people attended the concert. “We would like to confirm that the event held at Dubai Sports City started right on schedule despite the initial setback triggered by a section of the audience that was looking to bypass event entry rules. The concern, a common occurrence at top-billed live events that draw unprecedented crowds, was quickly brought under control to allow the show to commence as scheduled.”
After the first act, the host Meiyang Chang even had to issue a veiled threat that the show wouldn’t roll if people didn’t return to their seats. It worked. The show was back on the road after 11pm.
While Access All Areas belonged to Khan, the leading ladies Deepika Padukone, Madhuri Dixit and Jacqueline Fernandez did a good job of supporting him.
Dixit, hailed as Bollywood’s dancing queen of the 1990s, emerged from swathes of white sheets and recreated her hits from Beta, Anjaam and Bachna Ae Haseeno, while Padukone emerged from a glittering yellow butterfly cutout to dance to her hit Titli from her blockbuster Chennai Express.
“It was my biggest dream to see Shah Rukh. I couldn’t see much but I still enjoyed the evening because he can talk so well and dance too. I am crazy about him and I love him more now,” said Bharti Dubey after the show. But there were others who weren’t overjoyed.
“If I wanted to see him on the giant screens on the side of the stage, then I would have sat at home and watched him on TV at home. What’s the point in buying tickets? My son couldn’t see anything. But I have to say that Shah Rukh was really good. He can make people laugh,” said Advaith Khetri, who had purchased Dh475 tickets. Like any relationship, there were a few hiccups, but the bigger picture was good.
“Shah Rukh has proved that he is the king of romance tonight. I loved the way he treated all those women ... with so much love and respect,” said Shweta Ahuja.
