DUBAI // Bollywood movie star Shah Rukh Khan is excited about performing in Dubai in December and promises a fun-packed concert for his fans.
Khan will kick off his world tour Access All Areas with a concert on December 1 at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“The whole idea is for the audience to have fun,” said Khan, his hair tightly-pulled back and sporting a fitted black jacket at a press conference to announce the show on Sunday.
“They will come for enjoyment, they are there for a party and it has to be interactive. I did theatre for 8-9 years so I like doing a lot of impromptu things with the audience. I enjoy live shows. You are on a roll but you must have a lot of preparation involved also.”
This will be Khan’s first live performance in Dubai since 2008. Indian actress Deepika Padukone and other top Bollywood actors and singers will perform at the song and dance show.
There will be 80-100 dancers, sound recordists, choreographers, light artists involved in the concert.
“Show like this can take 30 days of hard work and we all have to take out time from our schedules to prepare and rehearse,” Khan said.
“We will need to write a theme and enough entry and exits of actors so at no point will the stage be without a star.”
The organisers along with Khan have planned large doses of interaction so the audience can help pick out songs for the stars to dance to. Tickets go on sale from Thursday noon at www.ticketmaster.ae.
Ahead of the concert there will be radio and newspaper contests when fans can decide some of the songs that will be played.
“Of course all the songs will not be on demand,” he explained.
“The way I do my shows, a large part of the dances will have to be prepared before. And the list of songs will have to close before the show. And yes, we will also pick out people from the audience to come on stage.”
Indian actress Padukone described Khan as a “master of impromptu” and said she hoped to learn some moves from him.
“I’m really nervous about this because I’ve never done such an interactive show,” said the actress wearing a shimmering black and gold jacket over a cream dress.
Riding on the success of their latest blockbuster entertainer Chennai Express, the stars said they would perform hits from the movie.
Padukone also put in an early request to dance for old-times sake with Khan to Ankhon Mein Teri Ajab Se, a song from her 2007 Bollywood debut movie Om Shanti Om.
“Yes we will definitely do songs from Chennai Express but I also want to do Akhon Mein Teri and relieve that moment,” she said.
Khan also reminisced about his earlier sell-out gigs and hoped for the same response to his December show.
“It has happened before that we needed more capacity,” he said.
“It happened in Atlanta, Toronto, Amsterdam and New York .... This will be a big one because I have not done a show for some time. We will really try to make it innovative and different.”
[ artslife@thenational.ae ]
