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29 March 2024

If Ramadan saw Shah Rukh Khan, Eid brings Akshay Kumar to Dubai

Indian Bollywood film actress Sonakshi Sinha walks the ramp for D'damas at the 4th edition of India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in Mumbai on August 4, 2013. (AFP)

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By Bindu Suresh Rai

If iftar in Dubai served up superstar Shah Rukh Khan as the celebrity guest last week, then how can the Eid-Al-Fitr celebrations be lacklustre?

Bollywood’s growing list of celebrities headed for the emirate can added three more names to the roster, as Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Imran Khan are scheduled to jet in on August 11.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan and  Deepika Padukone, break their fast at Arabian Center, Dubai on August 1, 2013 during the movie promotion of 'Chennai Express'. (Supplied)

Organised by Essar Events, the trio will continue the Eid celebrations with fans, along with promoting their upcoming film  ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobaara’, which releases across UAE cinemas on August 15.

Details of the Dubai event have yet to finalised, albeit a mall visit has been planned as per sources.

Meanwhile, the star cast will be co-hosting at a grand iftar party tonight in a Mumbai hotel with Tanuj Garg, CEO, Balaji Motion Pictures (producers of the film) saying: “The iftar feast will be a huge celebration. Besides Ekta and Tusshar (Kapoor), Akshay, Sonakshi, Imran, Milan Luthria, Shatrughan Sinha and Jeetendra are extending personal invitations for the bash.” 

As many as 400-500 guests are expected to attend.

A short qawwali performance by the Sabri Brothers has been planned and the décor will have an Arabic theme.

Indian Bollywood film actress Sonakshi Sinha walks the ramp for D'damas at the 4th edition of India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in Mumbai on August 4, 2013. (AFP)

Coincidentally, Emraan Hashmi, who played the role of Mafioso Shoaib Khan in the original ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai’, will also be present.

The upcoming release is a sequel to the 2010 gangster film, taking off from where its predecessor ended, except Hashmi has been replaced with Kumar.

Directed by Milan Luthria, the film has even caught the attention of the original ‘Godfather’, Hollywood great Al Pacino.

Pacino, was so impressed with the film’s trailer, that he started to reminicse about his Godfather days, who said in a statement: “My friend Barry Navidi showed me a promo for an Indian film with Akshay Kumar.  It brought some fond memories back from my Godfather days.”

The upcoming film opens where it left off; after assassinating his mentor, Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgn), Shoaib becomes the reigning don who has extended his empire to the Middle East.

As new enemies thwart his every move, Shoaib falls for a rising starlet, Yasmin (Sinha), who is caught between the head honcho and his sidekick Aslam (Khan) in a love triangle.

The film draws parallels from the life of India’s most wanted terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim, while Sinha is reportedly playing the role of one-time Bollywood starlet, Mandakini.