The millennial brigade got a glimpse of Bollywood’s glory days as Salman Khan and co. rolled out the red carpet for a star-studded ‘Bharat’ premiere that harked back to the 70s and 80s, to a time when the industry cruised and schmoozed in celebration of a guaranteed ‘golden jubilee’ production.
The Eid box office, which has been Khan’s turf ever since ‘Wanted’ resurrected his dwindling career back in 2009, saw the man of the hour strut to the premiere, dressed in black, coupled with a leather jacket that dared to defy Mumbai’s sweltering heat.
Katrina Kaif, dressed in a black Sabyasachi lehenga (Indian skirt), coupled with jewellery from the designer’s Heritage Jewelry collection, beamed with pride as she joined her on-screen partner, welcoming the who’s who of the film industry, led by ‘Bharat’s very own star cast, including Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani, Sunil Grover and Tabu (in a cameo, we are told).
Most of Khan’s former co-stars and film buddies also turned up for the event, including ‘Race 3’s Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Daisy Shah, along with Suneil Shetty, whose daughter Aathiya Shetty was once launched by Khan in the soon forgotten ‘Hero’ (2015). Meanwhile, gen-next was represented by Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon and Tara Sutaria.
Filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sooraj Bharjatya and Karan Johar were also in attendance, along with Khan’s brothers Arbaaz and Sohail, accompanied by sisters Arpita and Alvira, whose husband Atul Agnihotri is co-producing the film with Khan.
‘Bharat’, which is out now in the UAE, has been directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and narrates the story of a man across seven decades, drawing parallels between his life and India’s milestones. Parts of the film have been extensively filmed in Abu Dhabi as well.
