Ayushmann Khurrana kickstarts Middle-East tour, to share stage with Ali Zafar 

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana kickstarted his middle-east musical tour in Muscat, Oman yesterday, 26 October and is slated to peform in Dubai next.  

The Shubh Mangal Saavdhan actor had been busy rehearsing with his band, Ayushmann Bhava, in Mumbai for the last few weeks, before taking off for Oman. He has also posted several pictures and videos of his rehearsals on social media.

Khurrana is over excited about performing this time around because he has a lot of new songs to perform since his last tour abroad over a year ago. 

“We have included new songs in our set list. Also there's a new zest as this is my first foreign concert after my two hits Bareilly Ki barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. 'Nazm Nazm' and 'Sweety Tera Drama' from the former and 'Kanha' from the latter are the new entrants in the list,” said Khurrana. 

Khurrana also has a close connection with the Middle East thanks to his love for cricket. “I've always got mighty intrigued by the Middle East. In my teens before visiting this place I always thought it was a battlefield for India and Pakistan away from their homes, as I've seen matches on TV being played in Sharjah with bated breath with the only venue in the planet where there's equal support for both the teams. It also reminds me of two Sachin Tendulkar innings against Australia. They named it desert storm because the match was interrupted by a desert storm and his innings were just too phenomenal and unique just like this place,” says Khurrana.

There are also tons of Hindi film fans who are always keen on seeing an actor-singer like Khurrana perform. “It's a cultural melting pot where desis interact freely and celebrate each other's similarities and dissimilarities alike. Just like I discovered these beautiful congruencies when I went for my first foreign trip ever. It was none other than Pakistan.”

Khurrana is also excited to share the stage with Pakistani singer Ali Zafar and give a message in communal harmony through their musical collaboration. “In 2005 there was a student exchange programme and that was the year when I acted in a short film based on baba Bulleh Shah, the Sufi saint who propagated communal harmony and has followers and admirers on both sides of the border. And this time I'm going to happily share the stage with Ali Zafar, a fine artiste from across the border and also a Bulleh Shah lover.”