Bollywood stars Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor greet fans at the Arabian Centre in Mirdif, Dubai.
Bollywood stars Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor greet fans at the Arabian Centre in Mirdif, Dubai.

Bollywood actors deny similarities to What Happens in Vegas



DUBAI// Two Bollywood actors say any resemblance between their new romantic comedy and a similar Hollywood film is purely coincidental.

The actors Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, who were in Dubai for two days of promotion for Ek mein aur ekk tu (You and I), said the similarities to What Happens in Vegas were slight.

"In terms of being shot in Las Vegas, yes," Khan said at the Ritz Carlton hotel in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

The film centres on two people who get married in a drunken haze, which is also the premise of What Happens in Vegas, a 2008 film starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.

Khan said drunken marriages were a common plot in movies or shows set in Sin City.

"That happens in Hangover, it happens in an episode of Friends," said Khan, the nephew of the Indian actor Aamir Khan.

"It is actually a fairly common Vegas theme … This film has no money, no jackpot. It is just about two people coming together."

As a marketing gimmick, Khan, who plays an unemployed architect in the movie, has launched a video travelogue of the actors' promotional tour to Dubai, New York, London and Indian cities.

It includes recordings of Khan driving to Mumbai airport, on the flight to Dubai and at yesterday's press conference, all of which were being uploaded on YouTube.

"The idea is to give people an insight into what goes into making a film," he said. "Lots of people are not aware of actually how a film is made. We thought people may get to see behind the scenes. It would create an interesting talking point."

The movie brings Khan and Kapoor, who has acted with his uncle, together for the first time.

The actress, who recently starred in the science fiction film Ra.One, said her role as a witty hairstylist was different.

"Ek mein aur ekk tu is a role I have not done in a long time," Kapoor said. "Bodyguard and Ra.One were commercial movies. This role is very special.

"That is the reason why I wanted to do the film. What is making me look very special is Imran."

The actress, 31, whose wax likeness was recently unveiled at Madame Tussauds, said it was much harder to deliver dialogue in a comedy.

Kapoor is the sixth Bollywood star to have her own wax figure at the gallery.

The first Bollywood star to be featured there was Amitabh Bachchan in 2000, while his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai was the first actress.

The actors later visited Burj Khalifa before heading to the Arabian Centre mall to meet fans.

Ek mein aur ekk tu is scheduled to open in cinemas across the UAE on February 9.

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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

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Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.