Mumbai: Hrithik Roshan proved a real traffic-stopper when he sprinted across 42nd Street in New York to meet his eager fans gathered for the premiere of his much-talked about film `Kites`.
On Sunday evening when Hrithik along with his co-star Barbara Mori, director Anurag Basu, wife Suzzanne, parents Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, and other members of the team reached Times Square, he was told to wave out to hordes of Indian fans who had been standing on the other side of the street since morning for a glimpse of the star.
The star made a dash across the bustling street from the venue of the premiere to eager fans across the road.
"Hrithik did indeed dash across the 42nd Street from our red carpet to waiting fans across the road. And we aren`t about crossing just any busy street at peak hour. The 42nd Street is a gigantic universe. Hrithik ran across a good half a mile to get to his fans," Sanjeev Lamba of Reliance Big Pictures told reporters.
Hrithik`s considerate gesture towards fans at the premiere created panic for the tense and anxious "Kites" team.
"We had to halt all traffic on 42nd Street for Hrithik to cross. So we can finally say Hrithik is the first traffic-stopper from Bollywood to make the crossover," said Lamba.
Not just a dash across the busiest street to meet his fans, Hrithik and his dad also made impromptu arrangements for about 500 fans to be accommodated in an extra screen at the AMC Empire theatre.
Produced by Rakesh Roshan, "Kites" is set for simultaneous release Friday on more than 2,000 screens worldwide, including 200 in North America and the film is expected to open the global movie market to Indian films. Reliance Big Pictures is distributing the movie.
Shot on location in Las Vegas, Sante Fe and Los Angeles, "Kites" has two versions -- Hindi and English. A-list Hollywood director Brett Ratner has worked on the English language version that will open May 28.
Rakesh Roshan said: "What could we do? There were 400-500 of Hrithik`s fans who wanted to see the film. There were women crying, girls tearing their hair and threatening to commit suicide."
In addition to the 700-seater at the AMC Empire theatre, a smaller 500-seater screener was rented for extra fans at the last minute.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.