Anushka & Akshay going Dubai

A new year can only mean a new wave of red carpet celebrity events that Dubai is known and loved for. The latest star-studded premiere to feature here is Wednesday’s screening of the Bollywood film “Patiala House”, where walking the red carpet at Grand Cineplex, Wafi City will be powerhouse Akshay Kumar, along with co-star Anushka Sharma and veteran actor, Rishi Kapoor.

Kumar, of course, isn’t new to the world of Dubai premieres, who was here last year for the screening of his film “Action Replayy”, which was preceded by a family holiday that saw him and wife Twinkle Khanna hole up in The One and Only Royal Mirage for some rest and relaxation.

Sharma may not have clocked the same number of air miles like Kumar, but hot on the heels of her hit, “Band Baaja Baarat”, the three-film old actress appears to have garnered a fan following in her short stint in Bollywood.

Spot the stars. So where should one position themselves with their cameras you ask? The duo, along with Kapoor and singer Hard Kaur, will kick off the day’s proceedings with a media event at 11am at the Le Meridien Airport Hotel.

Security is expected to be tight, so rather than being bounced around by some burly bouncers, we would suggest a drive down to Insportz indoors cricket club in Al Quoz Industrial 3 at 1pm, where the stars will make time for photo ops while a nail biting match kicks off, featuring teams Kumar and Sharma.

If you still happen to miss the action, then the duo’s next stop is the Al Noor Centre for Special Needs at 6pm, followed by a mall visit at Lamcy Plaza at 7pm.

Phew! And if you thought that was it, think again. The stars will then descend on to Grand Cinemas at 7.45pm (let’s hope traffic isn’t a killer) for more photo ops before the film commences.

And if your luck has been terrible thus far and you have yet to catch a glimpse of the celebs, then head to It’s Mirchi nightclub at Ramee Royal, Bur Dubai where Kumar and Sharma, along with Hard Kaur will groove to the beats of “Patiala House”.

The story so far. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film’s release has been timed perfectly to coincide with the buzz surrounding the ICC World Cup Cricket, which kicks off on February 19.

Set in London, “Patiala House”, sees Kumar juggle the contradictory role of a shopkeeper from Southall respecting his traditionalist father, played by Kapoor, while pursuing his dream to play cricket for England.

Aside from seeing his real-life mother-in-law, Dimple Kapadia play his reel-mom in the movie, “Patiala House” also features cricketers from the England, Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan teams including three former England Captains – David Gower, Nasser Hussain and John Emburey. Kumar’s production house, Hari Om Entertainment Company has backed the movie, along with People Tree Films and T-Series.