London:
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's latest blockbuster 'Chennai Express' will get the biggest release for any Indian film in the UK.
The comic caper, co-starring Deepika Padukone and directed by Rohit Shetty, will hit cinemas around the world to coincide with Eid next Friday.
"I am very glad the film is getting such a big release here. UK audiences are fantastic. I don't believe that actors have regional appeal but I have to accept that some of my star value is largely down to audiences here," said Shah Rukh Khan, during a promotional tour for the film in London.
"With all humility and kindness, I would like to request them to keep watching my films the same way. It is a great fun film, the kind I havent done before and I promise it will be a great ride," he added, speaking to media-persons at Courthouse Hotel in central London.
The film is expected to release across 125 cinemas and 170 screens across the UK, marking one of the widest Bollywood releases in the country.
"As a Shah Rukh starrer and an all-out commercial entertainer, it does deserve the widest release of all time. In terms of marketing as well, we have gone all out. We just wanted to ensure that it is a movie that everyone has as their first choice in this festival season when people want to go out and watch a movie," said Siddharth Roy Kapur, managing director studios for Disney UTV, the co-producers and distributors of the film. 'Chennai Express', described as an action-packed romantic comedy, brings Khan together with his 'Om Shanti Om' co-star Deepika Padukone. The film is set in South India and has resulted in some criticism of both actors' shaky Tamil accent in the film. "As an entertainer for 22 years, one thing is clear in my head that I have never tried to depict anything wrong intentionally. People will always have their viewpoints, especially now with social media. But one doesn't become a legend without controversies," Khan joked.
