1. Abu Dhabi landmarks
Earlier this year, the lead stars of Bang Bang, Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan, flew into the capital for a week and filmed on closed sets at several locations. One of these was Hyatt Capital Gate hotel, where The National managed to get photos of another main cast member – Jimmy Shergill. Sections of the Corniche were closed during that weekend to allow the crew and Roshan's stunt stand-in to film high-speed chases in an F1 car. They also filmed extensively at the still-unopened Hudariyat Bridge in Al Bateen, where Akshay Kumar last week shot a few action sequences for his forthcoming thriller Baby (due out next year). Sadly the Bang Bang premiere is being held in Mumbai, and not in Abu Dhabi as was widely expected.
2. Kat and Duggu
Kaif (also known as Kat) and Roshan, whose nickname is Duggu, have amazing chemistry, as seen in 2011's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. For an idea of how good they look together, check out the video promo and posters for Bang Bang. The two stars obviously enjoy an easy rapport and apparently are good friends off screen, too.
3. It’s a Hollywood remake
Bang Bang will be worth watching if only to compare it with the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz action comedy Knight and Day (2010) that "inspired" it. While the storyline has probably been unashamedly lifted straight out of the Hollywood film, the desi version will definitely be louder, brasher and full of song-and-dance sequences – with a few sizzling numbers thrown in to rake in the crowds. All that music may make for a staccato viewing experience, but that's the way we like it.
4. The soundtrack
As is the tradition with Bollywood films, the music was released several weeks ago. The audience reaction to the soundtrack usually makes or breaks the film. But the producers of Bang Bang needn't worry. The musician duo Vishal and Shekhar have come up with a winner and the title track – a boisterous, disco-style dance number with the words "Bang Bang" yelled out a zillion times for good measure – has made it to the music charts in India and stayed there. It also figures at least once a day on Radio Mirchi's playlists in the UAE.
5. A Siddharth Anand film
Siddharth Anand usually thrives on dishing out lovey-dovey, feel-good fare – think Salaam Namaste, 2005's biggest hit with Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra leading an all-star cast, and Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), starring Ranbir Kapoor. Trivia alert: Siddharth is the son of Bittu Anand, who produced the 1988 hit Shahenshah, in which Amitabh Bachchan played a vigilante citizen who wore a suit of armour and deflected bullets (and other stuff) by a mere flick of his iron-covered arm.
ciyer@thenational.ae
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THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
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About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
The specs
More Iraq election coverage:
While you're here
Con Coughlin: To survive, Nato must renew its sense of common purpose
Gavin Esler: Nato summit failed for making news more than it made deals
Simon Waldman: Nato continues to be Ankara’s best security guarantor
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
While you're here
Sholto Byrnes: A mainstreaming of racist ideas in Europe
Rashmee Roshan Lall: White males can be terrorists too
HA Hellyer: With dialogue, Islamophobia can be beaten
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
COMPANY PROFILE
Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5