Ready for Deepika, Shah Rukh, Madhuri mega concert? Inside story

Long before Dubai bore witness to the hysteria of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, there stood a Shah Rukh Khan.

Back in 2008, when Bollywood’s axiomatic ‘King Khan’ stepped into the spotlight for his Dubai halt amidst the ‘Temptations Reloaded’ world tour, women openly wept at the concert, right before succumbing to their impending swoons.

As the city gears up for yet another bout of hysteria to sweep across Bollywood fans, Emirates 24|7 gets an all-season pass for the December 1 ‘Access All Areas’ mega event that features a bevy of stars alongside the mighty Khan, including Deepika Padukone, Madhuri Dixit, Jacqueline Fernandez and controversial singer, Yo Yo Honey Singh; lending support are Neeti Mohan and Meiyang Chang.

Organised by Duvent, a division of Meras Holdings, the all-star event will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with nothing short of a full house expected, says Director-Commercial, Omar Saab.

Fever pitch

In an interview, Saab explained: “As expected we have seen tremendous response from the Indian community and many Arab residents who adore Shah Rukh’s magnetic screen presence. This is their chance to witness the King Khan’s charm right here in Dubai.

“We expect a heightened race to secure seats at the show over the weekend, but hoping people don’t leave option to buy tickets until last minute.”

If anyone has ever caught Khan live, predictability is usually discarded backstage, as the superstar is notoriously known to give Teleprompters a skip with his own version of events.

Ask Saab and he admits the actor has taken personal interest in designing and conceptualising the entire show itself.

He says: “The USP is Shah Rukh himself of course, and also the fact that he has played a central role in designing the format of the show.

“He had a dream to entertain audiences in a way that is new to Bollywood’s usual offerings. Without giving away too much information, I can say that this show will give audiences a chance to get as close as they could ever imagine to the magic of Indian cinema.

“Furthermore, it is the first time Deepika Padukone performs in Dubai, and especially with Shah Rukh; same with Madhuri. All performances in principle have their attraction and all play a key role to make this performance extra special.”

As the stage is being erected at the venue, Saab reveals one of the main challenges of the show has the format itself.

He explains: “Shah Rukh’s visualisation of the Access All Areas concept, as the name suggests, required a fairly accommodating stage set up, spread out to bring the experience to life. Duvent has been working with the team in India to ensure all elements are thought of and made available to make the debut show a success.”

What’s the scoop?

So ultimately, what can fans finally hope for, you ask?

Amidst the glitz and glamour, is Khan’s own brand of entertainment.

Saab says: “The show will include song and dance performances from Shah Rukh’s most recent blockbuster movie, ‘Chennai Express’.

“Besides this, we have three of Bollywood’s most beautiful and loved actresses joining him on stage.

“Overall there are over 10 acts through the show, and of course a signature grand finale performance.”

A total of 56 members are flying in to bring the event together in Dubai, say organisers.

The 20,000-seater stadium is one of the few outdoor venues that has brought a welcome relief to concert organisers.

Says Saab: “Dubai certainly has what it takes to meet international concert standards. This is one of the reasons we see so many internationals acts making their way in to the city. Moreover, Dubai is evolving every day and there is a lot of investment being directed towards improving the entertainment scene. As long as the demand for more and better talent continues, there will be phenomenal improvement in the industry.”

Tickets for the ‘Access All Areas’ concert starts at Dh99. For tickets call: 800 86 823

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.