Dubai: Fans of Hindi cinema have already started counting down to October 31 when the world’s first Bollywood-inspired park opens in Dubai.
As annual passes for just Dh755 go on sale, there’s so much to plan for, if one wishes to cover everything that the park, which is part of the Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR), has to offer.
For starters, just soaking up the ambience will take up time. As Thomas Jellum, general manager of the park, said, “From a design perspective, we have gone all out to give the park a Bollywood and Mumbai feel. From the moment you enter the park, it is all about Mumbai’s famous architecture and movies. For example, design for the park entrance has been inspired by the famous Gateway of India and Victoria Station in Mumbai.”
Five zones
Bollywood Park consists of five zones – Bollywood Boulevard, Mumbai Chowk, Rustic Ravine, Royal Plaza and Bollywood Film Studios, featuring Hall of Heroes.
Among the park’s biggest draws are its cinema-centric rides and attractions and Broadway-style shows. The cinematic offerings have been planned for visitors of all ages and will recreate some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters such as Don, Lagaan, Sholay, Krrish and RA One, through state-of-the-art 3D and 4D systems, as well as a stunning stunt shows, live performances and hot sets based on Dabangg, Rock On!! and Zindagi Na Milegi Na Dobara.
Each of the park’s six themed restaurants also holds much promise. They include Mughal-e-Azam, the fine dining restaurant; Jumbo Café, Rock On!! Restaurant, Victoria Station, Spicy Dhaba, Studio Canteen and Juhu Juice Bus housed in a life size replica of a Mumbai bus, in addition to several street-style food carts.
Then you have the legendary Bollywood dance performances to be seen. The park will feature 200 dance performers and 20 live shows across five stages: Rock On!!, Crossroads, Mumbai Express, Rangmanch and Stars on Steps.
The centerpiece of the park is the 850-seat opulent Rajmahal Theatre which will host a separately ticketed Broadway-styled Bollywood musical several times a week. To complement the grand stage in the Royal Plaza zone, the Mughal-e-Azam restaurant is being talked about as the “perfect venue” for a pre-theatre dinner and will offer royal ‘shahi’ cuisine prepared by culinary artists.
During the day, the Stars on Steps stage will showcase a special performance paying tribute to Bollywood through the ages. If all this is not enough, you can pick up some Bollywood trivia from across eight retail stores and stand-alone carts, so you have a keepsake of your trip when it’s over.
