DUBAI // Their arrival was a little over the top ... but then, if reports of their coming movie are correct, it was fitting enough.
The stars of Rowdy Rathore, forecast to be this summer's biggest Bollywood blockbuster, arrived at their Dubai promotion session today in a pickup truck covered with the film's poster, led by dhol players.
Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha emerged as their characters Shiva and Priya, accompanied by the movie's director, Prabhu Deva.
Rowdy Rathore, less than two weeks away from hitting UAE cinemas, is unashamedly Bollywood to the extreme, from its brilliantly corny dialogue to its delightfully garish wardrobe.
The movie, which premieres on May 31, also marks the return of Kumar, the beloved 1990s action hero, from a long hiatus.
"I've just taken a break from action and stunts in front of the camera," he said yesterday. "Action has still been a part of my life for the last seven years. I practise my martial arts every day."
Rowdy Rathore is a remake of the Telugu film Vikramarkudu and tells the story of a small-time conman Shiva, who falls in love with pretty Priya, who he meets at a wedding to which he was not invited.
Shiva also meets Neha, a little girl who insists he is her father.
Then he finds himself at the receiving end of life-threatening attacks by a gang he knows nothing about.
Kumar's success in the film is pretty much guaranteed, but his leading lady has a lot riding on what is only her second feature.
Sinha's first movie, Dabangg – released in 2010 and co-starring Salman Khan – was a success, and a hit so soon afterwards would ensure she is offered more top roles.
In a white sari at the Dubai session, she stressed her one true love was for films and told of her conviction to succeed, despite the fact that her formal training was in fashion design.
Deva, who let his stars field the questions for most of yesterday's session, broke his silence to tell of the remarkable synergy he shared with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who was producing his first action film.
Bhansali has produced a portfolio of films including Devdas, Black and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
But the session was not all business.
An unsuspecting spectator, one of the sponsors, was dragged into taking a two-minute dance lesson before an impromptu dance performance alongside Kumar, Sinha and Deva.
After the meet and greet, the stars moved on to a promotional event at Ibn Battuta Mall, giving fans a chance to interact and catch a glimpse of the rowdiness coming soon to cinemas.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
