Ready to charm Dubai

Indian star Aamir Khan looks forward to entertaining his fans

Indian filmstar Aamir Khan's Bollywood to Broadway stage show will be presented to the UAE audiences tomorrow night at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. The three-and-a-half hour musical extravaganza is based on the highly successful Hindi films Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai.

The show, better known by the acronym B2B, has been staged in several countries including the U.S., the UK and Canada, to a massive audience response, according to Khan, who was addressing a press conference on the event yesterday.

He said the show had a very good reception and the film Lagaan has been running in the UK for the past six months, with keen interest especially from Britons who were not of Indian origin.

He said the show in Dubai is expected to be equally well received, as he had previously performed in the UAE for a show many years ago. Khan said he loved live performances as it gives him an opportunity to interact and connect with his fans.

"I try and entertain my fans and get a chance to communicate with them," he said. The show will feature song performances, medleys, solos, along with short skits involving actors from both the movies.

A troupe of more than 80 artistes will perform during the show brought to Dubai by L'atitude, along with cine stars Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta and Gracy Singh. The singers include Shaan, Sukhwinder and Neha Pant.

Khan said he had received suggestions to create a musical of the cricket-based film Lagaan for New York's Broadway but hadn't come to a decision on the matter. Speaking about the film itself, he praised the young director of the film Ashutosh Gowariker for his exceptional storyline and talent.

"There was a period of doubt whether it would be accepted by mainstream audiences. It was a tricky decision to make... too good a script to let go and so I went ahead and did it. ... didn't look back, just went all the way," he said.

"Full marks to Ashutosh for coming up with the idea for the film." He said the West has responded positively to Lagaan, with interest shown at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) awards and American Academy of Motion Pictures' Oscars (foreign film), which has enhanced the profile of the Indian filmmaker on the international level.

Speaking about his forthcoming film, after a year-long hiatus, Khan said he would be acting in a movie directed by Mansoor Khan for Amitabh Bachchan's production house.

The main sponsor of the show is ME Bank, a 24-hour online banking service offered by the Emirates Bank Group. They have been running radio contests that ask questions about the net service, two winners will be drawn from a raffle to be held today.

The winning participants will be able to meet Aamir Khan and the rest of the crew backstage before the show, according to Bertram Paul of the Emirates Bank Group. He added that the final draw with all the entrance tickets would be held before the show tomorrow evening. The winner gets a ME Bank account credited with Dhs 5,000.

Tickets for the show are priced at Dhs 75, Dhs 150, Dhs 250, Dhs 500 and Dhs 1,000 and are available at various outlets across the UAE.

Other support sponsors are Al Tamy Perfumes, New Medical Centre, Petrochem Carless, Arabian Biz Savers, Avis, Emirates, Gulf News, Hum FM and Le Meridien Dubai.