Khan, a former events executive, announced his project last year, inviting area actors and actresses to audition for parts in the movie. Two sets of auditions were conducted last year - the first in April and the second in June.
As a director working on his debut feature, Khan's decision to find new faces for his film was a practical one. Rather than work his shooting schedule around the timings and demands of a star, he preferred to find new faces and turn them into stars.
He said before the auditions that he was looking for talent over looks and that nationality was no bar. As a result, he claims that more than 3,000 hopefuls showed up for what could potentially be their big break in Bollywood. They included seasoned actors who had appeared in films, TV and on stage, as well as newbies who had never been in front of the camera.
Helping him whittle down the list was the Bollywood casting director Rohan Mapuskar, who has cast films such as Ferrari Ki Sawaari (2012) and 3 Idiots (2009).
Dollars is headlined by Sarrtaj Gill from Mumbai and Naren Kumar from Dubai. The lead actresses are the Dubai-based Wiam Dhimani and Rachna Maurya from India.
"This film is my dream project," says Khan. "It's been in the making for the last eight years. It's an honour to finally have the support of the most talented partners in the industry - the people who believed in my vision."
Dollars, which will be shot in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Iraq and India, tells the story of two Mumbai-based friends who move to Dubai for work but find themselves entangled in a dangerous situation. Khan promises plenty of action and thrills.
"Dubai is a perfect backdrop of this film, offering the high-life scenes set for Dollars."
Khan's journey to film director has been slow and steady. He founded his events management company, Times Square Events, almost 13 years ago.
In 2004, he worked as an assistant for Madhur Bhandarkar in Aan: Men at Work, an action-drama featuring Shatrughan Sinha and Akshay Kumar. He worked with Bhandarkar as assistant director again in 2006 on Corporate, a drama film starring Bipasha Basu and Kay Kay Menon.
In 2012, he took on a dual role for a smaller production: 5 Ghantey Mein 5 Crore features him on both sides of the camera, as associate director and actor.
He says these projects gave him the confidence to move forward with his own, which had been slowly brewing in the background.
Khan cites his long-time association with Dubai and his desire to show a different side of the city as the driving factors behind his decision to base his film in the city. He feels that although a lot of Bollywood films have been shot there, they have focused on the clichéd glitz and glamour.
"This city is like another character in the script," he says.
He is reluctant to reveal too much about the plot at this stage, but says there are bits of the underworld element and an international mission involved.
Khan adds that he isn't looking for instant success with his debut project.
"I just want to make a mark. I will be happy even if we break even."
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
