The sun beat ferociously down his back and the wind grew fiercer in the desert, but Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar — dressed in an ornate traditional kandura (arab men’s attire) and gutra (headdress) — didn’t break into a sweat.
He was on call on January 8 to bust a few Bollywood moves. In the same frame, actress Kiara Advani, his leading lady from his new film ‘Laxxmi Bomb’, was clad in a sparkling body con dress and was expected to match steps to a song which had recurring lyrics that go ‘Burj Khalifa…’ with Kumar.
The other male dancers were dressed in white kanduras, a sharp contrast to Kumar’s black and gold ankle-length traditional garb.
Kumar was on the final day of his three-day filming of a glamorous song sequence in the UAE. A day before his shoot in the desert, he was filming parts of the same song against Dubai’s architectural marvel Burj Khalifa. He was filled with a sense of de ja vu, said Kumar
“I was filming in the exact spot in 1999 for my comedy ‘Hera Pheri’. At that time, there was sand all around me in that spot. Now imagine, I am back at the same location filming against the world’s tallest building. It is mind-boggling. I have seen Dubai’s tremendous growth over the years and it’s amazing to see these fantastic changes in this city.” said Kumar in an exclusive interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
The actor also whipped out his phone to show us an exclusive never-seen-before image of him with hands outstretched against the towering landmark. No photography was allowed in the closely-guarded sets with several security guards on constant vigil. There was an 80-member crew stationed at the filming location to ensure smooth flow of the production.
“Our filming has gone so smooth in Dubai and everything is going as per schedule. I was here since morning,” said Kumar, adding that he will be returning to India after wrapping up the song.
It isn’t the first time that Kumar has chosen to film portions of his film in the UAE. Apart from ‘Hera Pheri’, Kumar has filmed extensively for his movies such as ‘Airlift’ in Ras Al Khaimah.
The shoot, facilitated by Dubai Film TV & Commission and local company 7 media, was a swift and a productive one.
Several Bollywood producers and talents prefer to film in Dubai as filming goes uninterrupted without fans mobbing the actors.
‘Laxxmi Bomb’, a horror comedy, is scheduled to release in the UAE in May.
Read our full interview with Kumar on a filming set in Dubai in Gulf News tabloid! soon.
-1554625842490_16a45057f34_small.jpg)
