LONDON: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan broke a 12-year hiatus with live performances in the UK this weekend alongside an array of Indian actors.
‘Da-Bangg: The Tour’, which has been on a worldwide journey across Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, opened in Birmingham on Saturday and concluded in London on Sunday.
Salman attributed his decision to return to the world stage for live shows to his brother Sohail Khan.
“I had stopped doing these live tours because they were too long, boring and very tacky due to low production value.
“I agreed to return when Sohail promised me good production value,” said the 51-year-old star.
Khan was joined on stage by co-stars Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandes, Prabhu Deva, Sooraj Pancholi, Daisy Shah, singer Kamaal Khan and rapper Badshah.
The tour is managed, scripted and directed by Sohail Khan Entertainment and JA Events, who claim to have conceptualised and created “the world’s biggest Bollywood live show to date”.
It includes a troupe of 120 dancers and technicians from India.
“Celebrating the best of song and dance from Bollywood, the events taking place in Birmingham and London are both a testament to the UK’s love of Bollywood,” said Allirajah Subaskaran, chairman of Lyca Group – sponsors of the tour in the UK.
Salman also revealed that “talks were on” to sign deals relating to his Being Human Foundation products being made available in stores across the UK.
During his UK visit, the actor also received this year’s Global Diversity award in recognition of his charity work at a House of Commons ceremony on Friday.
The previous recipients of the award, which recognises the international achievements of its recipients, include racing champion Lewis Hamilton and human rights activist Jesse Jackson.
“Although I have received many cinema awards, this is the first award that I have received personally so I am incredibly humbled,” Khan said at the ceremony.
“Aside from his Indian cinema success, Salman is a well-known philanthropist and his NGO Being Human has done life changing work supporting the under-privileged in India,” said Keith Vaz, Britain’s longest-serving Indian-origin MP, who presented the award to Khan. (AGENCIES)
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