Stars descend for the spectacular sneak preview of Sultanat, a big budget Dubai-based cinematic production

Dubai, 4^th March 2012: Famed celebrities from Bollywood and Lollywood added to the glitz and glamour at the exclusive first look of Sultanat. General Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan, and Counsel General of India Mr. Sanjay Verma added fire power to the highly acclaimed list of   celebrities who descended last Thursday at  Safinah Ballroom, Jumeriah Beach Hotel in Dubai.

Sultanat, a creation of AB Pictures, is an approximately 30-episode soap opera billed as one of the largest UAE-based productions starring Indian and Pakistani Film/TV actors.The glitzy evening also featured stars from the series and leading media personalities from India and Pakistan as well as diplomats from the two nationsalong with the glamorous Dubai glitterati at their finest.

The stars from the two nations who portrayed the key roles in this ensemble drama - former Bigg Boss winner ShwetaTiwari, AslamBhatti, Javed Sheikh, Deepak Shirke and Mustafa Qureshi, among others – were present and leading the proceedings with the message of Indo-Pak peace. Bollywood biggies David Dhawan, Boney Kapoor, Prem Chopra were all part of the starry night which had the best of Dubai, India and Pakistan enjoying the five Star hospitality hosted by AB pictures.

Speaking at the sneak preview, Faisal Bhatti – CEO of AB Pictures, said: “We are proud to have accomplished one of the most expensive Dubai-based productions featuring talents from India and Pakistan. Sultanat showcases action sequence, locales and performances that will thrill everyone, both on televisions and in cinemas. Aside from India, the shooting locations included several world-class international locales like Dubai’s very own Palm Jumeirah and Downtown Dubai as well as London and Bangkok.”

‘Sultanat’ is directed by Syed Faisal Bukhari, a prominent Pakistani film and television director, producer, and cinematographer. One more unique feature of this television drama is that it will also be re-edited and released in theatrespost its TV broadcast, which is why it features cinema-scale action sequences as well as a peppy dance number.

Elaborating at the event, Aslam Bhatti–MD of AB Pictures, who also plays the male lead in the series, said -“Sultanat is sure to appeal to every generation since it has everything, right from fast-paced action sequences to a gripping storyline that showcases myriad emotions as well as highly entertaining features. This is a significant milestone for me and AB Pictures as it is aimed at promoting harmonious Indo-Pak relations with its message of peace, which is why we plan to broadcast as well as release it in in the UAE, Pakistan, India and the UK.”

For AslamBhatti, who also stars in the leading role, the decision to make this series was both an emotional and artistic one. The former due to the fact that his reel life portrayal is a fictionalised account of some significant incidents from his real life, and the latter because he believes art can be bridge the relations between India and Pakistan, which is why its characters are portrayed by artists from the two nations.

Speaking at the event, the stars built on the significance of this venture and hoped that this will pave the way for many morejoint Indo-Pak collaborations.