Indian billionaire turns actor in a short film on Sheikh Zayed

Dubai - In the short film, BR Shetty plays an elderly Arab teaching his granddaughter about the virtues of Sheikh Zayed

UAE-based billionaire Indian businessman Dr BR Shetty has played the lead role in a short film that pays tribute to the legacy of the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
In the short film Estimrariya (meaning 'Continuation') that premiered on Friday night, Shetty plays an elderly Arab citizen teaching his granddaughter Gamila Yassin, about the virtues the UAE inherited from Sheikh Zayed. The 75-year-old tells the Egyptian child actor about the great leader who built hospitals, schools and planted trees, and explains the importance of 'Sadaqah Jariyah' (charity).
UAE's Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and Indian ambassador Navdeep Suri attended the opening of the short film in Abu Dhabi.
The ambassador said the film creatively put forth the key messages and teachings of Sheikh Zayed. "In the Year of Zayed, we have many moments to remember the great man. We must internalise and implement some of the messages that he left behind - the value of education, importance of universal healthcare and commitment to sustainability and a greener planet. These are all ideas on which we continue to work." Dr Shetty, chairman of NMC Healthcare and Finablr, said it was a real honour to be a part of the film. "In the Year of Zayed, there isn't a better way for me to express my gratitude to this nation, which I have called home for 45 years. Everything the UAE has achieved is a blossom in a tree that Sheikh Zayed planted. He was the symbol of kindness and tolerance, the foundation blocks of this great nation. The film emphasises the day-to-day goodness that every citizen and resident of the UAE experiences."
Abu Dhabi-based Ullas R Koya, writer and debut director of the six-minute short film, said: "With this film, we are taking the UAE's history to the world - the very idea behind the formation of the UAE Soft Power Council."
The film was ready in December 2016 but was released only now. A 23-member crew shot the film in two days.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai