00.52am: At an auction following the film premiere Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor danced together after arriving close to midnight. The pair then auctioned off a RA.One action figure which sold for Dh30,000. Proceeds from the ticketed event, with entry up to Dh1,000, go to Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre. The stars left quickly after the auction, heading to London for the next stop on the film's promotional tour.
11.57pm: RA.One screening over. Our reporter Manjari Saxena's verdict: with special effects it's just about 4 out of 5 for an engrossing film that's sure to be a blockbuster. Technically very good but predictable at the end.
The hall was full until the end but reactions are mixed.
8.15pm: At the RA.One premiere, thousands of fans turned out to see Shah Rukh Khan. He showed them the love by walking around the barriers to say hello and shake hands, and ask how they are doing. Arjun Rampal also made sure to chat with the fans, some of whom had been waiting over two hours. Thousands packed the outdoor area of the cinema, even moving away the metal barriers put in place to keep them back.
Khan fan Prince Roy, 18, said it was “the best experience ever”. “He looks better in the flesh. He’s my biggest superhero.”
Meanwhile Kareena Kapoor – in a stunning red sari -- walked the red carpet alongside her favourite designer, Manish Malhotra. He's heading to the Doha Tribeca Film Festival next. “I have worked with Shah Rukh after 10 years, so I’m very excited to see the film,” said Kapoor. It's the first time either she or Rampal are seeing the film.
RA.One actors Shahana Goswami and child actor Armaan Verma as well as director Anubhav Sinha also walked red carpet.
Everyone is now in the theatre, where six halls at the Grand Cineplex are housefull, showing RA.One for the Dubai world premiere.
7.30pm: Alfan Bagban has been waiting for to see his idol Shah Rukh Khan for more than two hours. He's hoping to show Khan his painting.
6:30pm: Hundreds of fans have gathered outside the Grand Cineplex in Dubai, awaiting Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor and the rest of the RA.One team for the film’s world premiere.
Metal barricades are up outside the cinema entrance, and huge billboards promoting the sci-fi epic are alongside.
tabloid! will be going in to watch the film and will bring you the verdict as soon as it’s over – and perhaps some tweets before that too!
5pm: “There will be a sequel to RA.One,” says director Anubhav Sinha.
4pm: Shah Rukh Khan says he’s “feeling unwell” and is on antibiotics. Khan did the event in Dubai alone, without co-stars Kareena Kapoor or Arjun Rampal, but they are expected at the press conference, to take place shortly.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Khan’s My Name Is Khan co-star Kajol is in Dubai with her family, including husband Ajay Devgn, for a private holiday. They’ve been invited to the premiere and the last day of Dubai Fashion Week on Monday, but we’re told are unlikely to attend either.
3:30pm: Shah Rukh Khan finally arrived at his first engagement in Dubai -- nearly two hours late. He’s just been meeting lucky winners of a Western Union competition and got a little teary when asked what the money transfer company means to him. He said it’s all about people being able to send money home to support their families.
"All we want to do is to make our kids and family happy," said the star. "[RA.One] is also culmination of my kids' dreams."
"My parents are my personal superheroes," said an emotional Khan. "In real life those parents who take care of their kids are superheroes." He dedicated the film to his father, who died when he was 14. “I miss him terribly,” Khan said.
1:30pm: The stars have just walked into the Grand Hyatt. Surrounded by dozens of people who don't look like hotel guests and hidden behind a human shield of bodyguards, Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal headed straight to their suites. Apparently SRK will be down in half an hour. Expect delays! Follow tabloid!'s tweets
Plot under wraps
The plot of the film has remained under wraps, with Khan -- the star and co-producer of the film, relying on the element of mystery to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Not that teasing is really necessary to get bums on seats -- with Khan known as the king of India's massive Bollywood film industry, his films are for the most part guaranteed hits.
First up today is a meet and greet with lucky Western Union customers before a press conference scheduled for 3:30pm.
Tonight, from 6:30pm, Khan, along with his co-stars Arjun Rampal -- who plays the evil RA.One character -- and Bollywood blue-blood Kareena Kapoor, is expected to walk the red carpet at the Grand Cineplex, Wafi, ahead of the long-awaited film's world premiere.
In an interview with tabloid!, Khan revealed why he chose to show his film for the first time in the UAE.
"The UAE have been very kind towards my movies. Apart from that, it is an essential market for Indian movies. Business-wise it makes sense to me and my partner. After that, we head to London and Toronto." Read the full interview
Following the premiere, Khan and co will head to a ballroom in the hotel for a charity gala in which some RA.One items will be auctioned, with proceeds going to the Rashid
Pediatric Therapy Centre.
