BR Shetty starred in a documentary on the life of Sheikh Zayed that was released this month.
The medical tycoon has described Al Estimrariya, translating to the continuance in Arabic, as a "fitting tribute to the Founding Father" on his birth centenary.
In the five-minute documentary, Mr Shetty plays an elderly man teaching his granddaughter, Gamila Yassin, about virtues the younger generation should inherit from Sheikh Zayed.
The 75-year-old actor tells the Egyptian child actor about “a great man who built hospitals, schools and planted trees” and explains the importance of 'Sadaqah Jariyah' – acts of charity that leave an eternal impact.
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The premier was held last week at Mr Shetty’s residence in Abu Dhabi and attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance, Navdeep Singh Suri, Indian ambassador to the UAE, as well as writer and debutant director of the documentary, Ullas R Koya.
"There cannot be a more fitting tribute to the Founding Father in the Year of Zayed than being part of a project that conveys his exemplary life to the future generations," Mr Shetty told The National.
“Sheikh Zayed has a special place in my heart. He was too kind to me. He was an epitome of tolerance and a true visionary.”
The documentary was not Mr Shetty's first foray into acting, he last had a cameo in the movie March 22 that was released last year. He will also be producing an Indian film entitled The Mahabharata at a record cost of 1,000-crore rupees (Dh2,123m).
It will be produced in two parts and is scheduled for release in early 2020. The second part will be released within 90 days of the first.
