Happy New Year – SLAM! The Tour Press Conference
There has been so much excitement recently in the build up to the biggest Bollywood event of the year SLAM! The Tour & Happy New Year movie which is already being billed as the biggest Bollywood movie of the year. (Two for the price of one, who doesn’t love a bargain).
The film is about a team of losers in their quest to pull off the largest diamond heist ever. The cast and crew arrived in London from the USA on Saturday October 4th, with a weekend full of interviews, promotional campaigns and rehearsals for Sundays big concert at the O2 arena.
Arriving with the Punjab2000 team at the Montcalm Hotel, Marble Arch London on Sunday morning, there was already a huge crowd of press and fans outside, both eagerly awaiting for the arrival of the Happy New Year-SLAM tour bus with it’s stars. Even though the morning ran later than expected, I have to say that the cast were definitely worth waiting for.
News of the stars arrival brought excitement to those of us waiting in the hotel ballroom. Whilst waiting our talented photographer Manjeet Matharoo was busy clicking away the cast in the photo call next door. Finally our wait was over when the compere of the event Ameet Chana (Bend It Like Bekham fame) introduced us the the HNY cast.
Leading the group of celebrities into the ballroom was Happy New Year director Farah Khan, the witty Boman Irani (best known for his role in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S) followed by relative newcomer Vivaan Shah (the son of one of India’s finest actors Naseeruddin Shah), a very suave Sonu Sood (the main antagonist from Dabangg), the charming Abhishek Bachchan, a very beautiful Deepika Padukone and with no introduction needed, King Khan himself Shah Rukh Khan. All were greeted with a round of applause, loud cheers and extremely happy faces.
The event was attended not only by press from the UK but from France, Denmark (Deepika Padukone’s place of birth) and Nepal too. Shah Rukh Khan thanked the audience for attending stating that it had been many years since he had performed in London and was really excited about doing so as he had been having lots of fun.
The cast were asked about how the tour had been going so far and why London where the tour was ending was so special to them. Both SRK and Boman Irani had said that London was one of their favorite cities in the world and that they visit several times a year (SRK’s children go to school here).
Farah Khan talked about her fondest memory of coming to London for the first time in 1986, to take part in the world dance championships at The Hippodrome.
The entire cast were charming and witty and answers to their questions felt genuine. SRK even sang to a crying baby to the delight of the crowd and kissed the hand of a journalist visiting from Nepal who had presented him with flowers. Shah Rukh Khan also received gifts form visiting journalists from France, who were very emotional and excited to have met him and to have been thanked publicly for all that they do, by converting his films into French and spreading the love of Bollywood movies throughout France.
The press conference ended with a few members of the press rushing forward like frenzied fans, just to get a closer look, even a touch of SRK or a possible selfie, which he happily obliged by staying behind a little longer after the rest of the cast had left to prepare for the evenings concert.
Upon leaving, outside the Montcalm fans and press had been waiting patiently for the slightest glimpse of any of the cast members. The wonderful Madhuri Dixit-Nene made a brief appearance along with item queen Malaika Arora Khan and new singing sensation Kanika Kapoor, before getting into their awaiting vehicles. Of all the press conferences that I have attended recently, this one was definitely the biggest and most fun.
Happy New Year will be released on Thursday October 23rd 2014 for Diwali and in India on October 24th. Let’s hope that the movie is as fun, exciting and as charming as the cast of it were, just as the SLAM concert definitely was.
You can watch the HNY-SLAM press conference which was recorded by our talented team member Balwinder Rehncy