DUBAI // The Bollywood stars Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor will attend the world premiere of their new movie Teri Meri Kahaani in Dubai tonight before heading to London and Toronto.
The film is directed by Kunal Kohli, who was behind the 2004 blockbuster Hum Tum.
Teri Meri Kahaani, which sees Chopra and Kapoor teaming up for the second time following the 2009 thriller Kaminey, attracted much attention during the Indian Film Academy Awards in Singapore earlier this month.
The romantic movie follows actress Krish (Chopra) and poet/struggling musician Radha (Kapoor) through three love stories as they travel back and forth in time, from contemporary London, to the Punjab of 1910, to 1960s Mumbai.
Kapoor describes the movie as an "easier, breezier" film narrating the stories of the same souls, born in different lives and different times.
He said the UAE is the fasting-growing market for Bollywood films, after the US and UK.
"Dubai is usually the first place where Bollywood films are released and it's always exciting to see the feedback. It is a fresh concept - a young, fun take on two lives considered soul mates so audiences should be able to relate," said Kapoor.
Parts of Teri Meri Kahaani (Our Story) were filmed in Nottingham, UK.
"My favourite period is 1910 and it was up to Kohli's imagination. My character is more forward than any of the other characters, and I had fun playing him," Kapoor said.
Kohli said he wanted to bring "romance" back to Indian films.
"Every Indian film set pre-independence shows most characters dressed in white, but we have a colourful country. I asked myself where is the romance of that time? That's why I created the 1910 character," he said.
The movie soundtrack features musicians Wajid, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghosal.
Chopra, who was delayed in India by a family emergency, was unable to attend a scheduled press conference this afternoon.
Following the press conference, the stars were scheduled to visit Al Noor School before making a red-carpet appearance at Vox Cinemas at the Mall of the Emirates at 8pm.
Promotion for the movie also includes an after-party at the It's Mirchi restaurant in Bur Dubai's Ramee Royal Hotel.
melshoush@thenational.ae
