Dubai execs expect 'Sultanat' to reel in Indo-Pak viewers

It takes a lifetime to build an empire and but only a moment to destroy it. AB Pictures CEO, Faisal Bhatti, underlines this very nugget as he enters the final innings of the launch of his company’s magnum opus, “Sultanat”.
 
The “Sultanat” or empire at stake here is his own; now, it’s up to the viewers to decide whether they speculate on the reel or real life of the makers.
 
In Bhatti’s own words, the show is based on his family’s own trials and tribulations over the decades and it was finally time for that story to unravel onto the small screen.
 
““Sultanat” is based on true events, experiences of AB Pictures’ Chairman, Aslam Bhatti over nearly half a century, which have been captured on camera for the world to know,” said Bhatti.
 
Chronicling the rise and fall of a family empire that sees relatives turn bitter rivals overnight, AB Pictures has roped in a stellar cast from the subcontinent to essay the parts, including former “Big Boss” winner Shweta Tiwari, along with Achnit Kaur and Akashdeep, to name but few from India, while Pakistan’s Javed Sheikh and Mustafa Quershi are also playing integral roles.  
 
Talking about the makers decision to rope in stars from both sides of the border, Bhatti explained: “The story demanded such a merging of two distinctly different but yet similar communities and we decided to move ahead with this decision to provide a single platform to unite two countries that have been at loggerheads since 60 years.
 
“As a Pakistani company, which is involved in showbiz, we felt it was our duty and responsibility get these markets together and use this a stepping stone to further strengthen the diplomatic relations between these two countries,” said Bhatti.
 
Bhatti said AB Pictures should announce soon when “Sultanat” would go on air and stream on which channels.
 
“We have already finished filming it, with shoots across the UAE, London, Scotland and Thailand. Each episode should be a duration of approximately 30 minutes and the series itself should last between 25 and 28 episodes,” he said.
 
Bhatti also said that they would announce shortly the channels on which the show would air, with streams in India, Pakistan and the UAE.
 
“While Asian viewers in the UAE will see the Hindi/Urdu stream over the Pakistani channel, we have also dubbed the show in Arabic for our growing Arab viewership,” he added.
 
The show itself will be launched in a glittering ceremony tonight at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel with a bevy of stars expected from both Bollyood and Lollywood, including Sridevi and husband Boney Kapoor, director David Dhawan, stars Shweta Tiwari and Jawed Sheikh and many more.
 
In the past, the Dubai-based AB Pictures has also produced TV shows that include “Aan”, “Riyasat” and “Godfather”.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.