Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's 'Dunki' trailer lights up Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Bollywood’s enduring icon and actor Shah Rukh Khan is pulling all stops to promote his upcoming film ‘Dunki’ in Dubai.

From a drone show paying homage to the romantic hero at Downtown Dubai yesterday to the actor witnessing his movie’s trailer light up the Burj Khalifa, the veteran hero was on proverbial roll this week. 

His team along with sites dedicated to the actor has been constantly sharing updates on his Dubai adventures. In one of the videos doing the rounds, the 58-year-old matinee idol was spotted wearing a red leather jacket riding the abra and watching the drone display of his signature pose in movies.

Considered Bollywood's ultimate romantic figure on-screen, his oft-repeated pose of spreading arms wide and looking up in the sky was given a staunch nod. As the sky lit up with the outline of him in that pose, the actor also mimicked it, much to the excitement of his fans who had gathered around the Burj Khalifa to spot their hero in the flesh. 

The love isn't one-sided. On several occasions including a stop at Global Village earlier this week, Khan spoke to his fans about his unconditional love for Dubai and thanked fans for their unstinting support towards the actor.

While ‘Dunki’, directed by Raj Kumar Hirani of 3 Idiots fame, will release in UAE cinemas tomorrow, the show of staunch support from his fans in the UAE makes one feel that it’s already a blockbuster. When it comes to collective goodwill, there's no outshining Khan's charisma and clout among his followers. Known for his witty persona, the man can win over the most stubborn cynics.

'Dunki', a tale of four friends from a village in Punjab who share a common dream: to go to England, has a Middle Eastern connect too. It was shot partly in Saudi Arabia.

Alongside  Khan, Dunki features an ensemble cast including Boman Irani, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar, and Anil Grover. 

The socially-charged drama is one of the biggest Bollywood releases to be rolled out in 2023.

But the ‘Pathaan’ star is not traversing the traditional route of press interviews before a film’s release. Instead, he’s focusing on fan interactions where dancing and being charming is the order of the day. No tough questions had to be warded off since his ardent devotees are just excited to breathe the same air as him.

Khan is no stranger to Dubai and even owns a palatial sea-facing home here. His last two releases ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’ were money spinners, injecting new life into his flagging career.

‘Dunki’, a stirring story of lovable blokes who attempt to enter a foreign country through questionable means and without valid travel documents, is being peddled as a satirical take on a grim issue. Immigration has often been viewed as a rich source for story telling and 'Dunki' will delve into this subject with a deft hand. 

Read our review tomorrow.