Veteran Indian actor Kamal Haasan, who is currently in Dubai to promote his highly anticipated film Vikram, will attend a special preview of the action thriller, which will be beamed on to the facade of Burj Khalifa on Wednesday.
The actor will watch the projection from the balcony of the Address Downtown, and interact with fans gathered around the Dubai Fountain. The preview, held in partnership with Reel Cinemas, is scheduled to start at 8.10pm.
Haasan, 67, who began his career as a child actor in Tamil films in the 1960s, is beloved all over India, having made successful inroads into many industries, including Bollywood.
Vikram, a Tamil-language film, has been eagerly awaited, owing to its star-studded cast. Besides Haasan, the film stars two South Indian superstars — Vijay Sethupathi, known predominantly for his work in Tamil films, and Fahadh Faasil, the acclaimed actor known mostly for his Malayalam films. Tamil superstar Suriya is also set to star in a cameo.
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Vikram tells the story of a retired police officer who's called back into action after two brothers, a gangster and a politician, capture a high-ranking official.
Haasan plays the protagonist Arun Kumar Vikram, who goes up against Sethupathi's and Faasil's characters in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that soon blurs the lines between who's right and who's wrong.
First announced in 2020, production for the big-budget film has been delayed several times owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Haasan tested positive for Covid-19 in November, further delaying the shoot.
In the past few weeks, the actor, who's also a producer for the film, has been on a promotional tour, and was also at the Cannes Film Festival this month.
He told Indian news agency PTI he was confident of the film's appeal across India and beyond. Vikram has been dubbed in several Indian languages.
"Our country is unique. Unlike America, we speak different languages but we are united. That’s the beauty of this country," he said. "It [Vikram] is a pan-India film for me.
Working with Faasil and Sethupathi was like "a good meal best shared", he said.
"My guru Mr K Balachander taught me how to enjoy sharing the screen space and not to steal the show. Both the actors were admirers of mine, so it felt like a felicitation."
Vikram is in UAE cinemas from Friday.
Click through the gallery below to see Burj Khalifa over the years.
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The Burj Khalifa construction site on April 29, 2005, in Dubai. Rabih Moghrabi / AFP -
Construction under way on Downtown Dubai and Business Bay on January, 29, 2006. Nasser Younes / AFP -
A camel handler exercises his animals along Nad Al Sheba track, in front of the Burj Khalifa Downtown Dubai construction site on April 2, 2007. Karim Sahib / AFP -
Construction is under way on Burj Khalifa in 2007. Pawan Singh / The National -
Construction under way on the very top of Burj Khalifa on December 17, 2008. Paulo Vecina / The National -
Burj Khalifa and the surrounding Downtown Dubai area still under construction during a media tour of the area on January 26, 2009. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National -
Fireworks are set off during the inauguration of Burj Khalifa on January 4, 2010. Jeff Topping / The National -
Burj Khalifa pictured on January 26, 2010, days after it opened to the public. Randi Sokoloff / The National -
Tom Cruise is filmed running along the outside of Burj Khalifa for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on November 5, 2010. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Downtown Dubai skyline protrudes from early morning fog on September 6, 2011. Pawel Dwulit / The National -
Burj Khalifa surrounded by fog on February 11, 2012. Jeff Topping / The National -
Visitors take photos of Burj Khalifa during the Eid holidays in Dubai on August 10, 2013. Satish Kumar / The National -
Burj Khalifa pictured from the metro on September 3, 2014. Pawan Singh / The National -
Children look at Burj Khalifa, while the lights are switched off during Earth Hour on March 28, 2015. Jeff Topping / The National -
Burj Khalifa pictured from City Walk on April 2, 2016. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National -
A full moon rises above the Burj Khalifa on August 7, 2017. Christopher Pike / The National -
Burj Khalifa lights up in the colours of Saudi Flag to celebrate the kingdom's 88th National Day on September 21, 2018. Satish Kumar for The National -
Between the 111th and 73rd floor, 11 window cleaners wash Burj Khalifa's facade on September 17, 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Fireworks go off on December 31, 2020, to celebrate the New Year. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Dubai rings in 2022 with fireworks at Burj Khalifa. Photo: Dubai Media Office
