Salman draws crowds during `Ready` premiere in Dubai

Mumbai: So what if Asin Thottumkal, the leading lady of `Ready`, was missing from the Dubai premiere of the movie? Bollywood star Salman Khan, who gave one of the biggest hits of recent times with `Dabangg`, drew in a massive crowd at the event, says director Anees Bazmee.

`Ready` is Salman`s first release after the success of `Dabangg`, and is quite awaited thanks to its peppy numbers `Character dheela hai` and `Dhinka chika`. No wonder the Dubai audience gave him a warm welcome there. The curiosity and excitement among the crowd also gave producers Bhushan Kumar and Kishan Kumar, as well as Bazmee a new high. "It was an experience not to be forgotten easily. There were as many people standing outside the four screenings we had in Dubai as there were inside the theatres," Bazmee said on returning to Mumbai Thursday morning. Asin couldn`t accompany the "Ready" team to Dubai due to passport hassles. "My passport has gone for my UK visa for `Housefull 2` and it didn`t come back to me in time for the Dubai premiere. Ah, bureaucracy and the delays! I was so looking forward to it, but what to do! I`m sure Salman made it rock," said Asin. However, Bazmee says the team felt her absence at the event. "It is strange that easily-recognisable celebrities too have to submit their passports for visas. One can understand the less visible members of the unit being asked to do so. But the heroine of a film? Anyway, we missed Asin at Dubai," he said. "Ready", which also features Arya Babbar, Mahesh Manjrekar and Paresh Rawal, will hit the screens Friday. It is a film about a rich heir who wants to enjoy life before tying the knot. IANS