Bollywood's big Dubai date with Shah Rukh, Deepika Padukone...

The countdown has begun for one of Bollywood’s biggest film premieres to be hosted in Dubai, with a star-studded cast promised to walk the red carpet for the season’s highly anticipated ‘Happy New Year’.
 
Written and filmed exclusively with Dubai in mind, as per director Farah Khan’s most recent statement, the October 22 premiere at Atlantis The Palm will feature Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood, Jackie Shroff and newcomer Vivan Shah in the spotlight.

 
Shah Rukh’s publicist has confirmed with Emirates 24|7 that despite rumours stating a later date, the premiere will happen on October 22 as planned.
 
In an earlier chat, Shah Rukh had said: “The film will host its premiere at the Atlantis (The Palm) itself on October 22; what better way than to host the screening in the grand premise where nearly 40 per cent of the movie has been shot.

“Dubai has proved to be a wonderful host to us, it is like my second home, and it would be great to return to the ‘scene of the crime’ to bring this journey to its conclusion.”

 
The movie was filmed at the Atlantis resort for nearly a month in September 2013, produced under Red Chillies Entertainment banner, with UAE residents recognising several landmarks in the film, including the hotel’s famous Nasimi Beach, the Royal Bay Aquarium dolphins, along with other Dubai venues, including the Burj Al Arab and the Dubai Mall Ice Rink.

The cast has also filmed a crucial chase sequence for the film’s climax in the Hatta desert sands.

Speaking about the film’s premise, Abhishek Bachchan summarised the experience: “It is a heist movie set against the backdrop of World Dance Championships. It is the kind of fun, masala film that Shah Rukh and Farah have never seen because they never worked with a greater star cast.”
 
Serge Zalov, President and CEO of Atlantis The Palm in Dubai said in a statement: “We are proud that Atlantis The Palm will launch one of the biggest Bollywood films. The shoot shows the image of Dubai as a leading destination for leisure and hospitality to global audiences.”

Director Farah Khan said in a statement: “I’ve written the movie script of ‘Happy New Year’ with Dubai in mind. In my eyes, this city was the best place for filming this story, so the entire plot is about New Year’s celebrations in the Atlantis The Palm resort.”
 
Jamal Al Sharif, Director General of Dubai Studio City and chairman of the Dubai Television Production and Film Commission said: “We are delighted to see ‘Happy New Year’ filmed in Dubai and it confirms the city’s position as an important centre for a film industry in the Middle East, offering a Bollywood production the largest and most important in Indian cinema, which is expected to grow to $2.28 billion year-end 2014.”

He added: “These kind of films with large budgets take advantage of Dubai, which offers a diverse and strong infrastructure, sophisticated, and also provided facilities regarding the issuance of permits, which are difficult to obtain anywhere else in the region.”
 
To mark the occasion, Atlantis has launched the ‘Show Happy New Year’ hospitality package, which includes a 10 per cent discount on the best available price, and a free commemorative gift.
 
The package also includes unlimited access to the Aquaventure Waterpark and the Lost Aquarium and discounted rates for swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Bay; booking is available for this package from September 1 to November 30, 2014.
 
‘Happy New Year’ will be distributed by Yash Raj Films, and will release globally on October 23.

(With inputs from Bindu Rai)

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