William and Kate to be joined by Bollywood stars at Indian tour fundraiser
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be joined by Bollywood and sporting royalty during a glittering fundraising event staged on the first night of their Indian tour.
William and Kate will be guests of honour at a reception and dinner staged in Mumbai - the home of India's famous film industry - to celebrate the city's movie and creative industries.
Film star Shah Rukh Khan - known as King Khan by his fans - and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will walk the welcoming red carpet as will Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and other movie celebrities including Rishi Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar.
The reception and dinner, planned for Sunday, will raise funds for three charities the Cambridges will have met earlier during their first day in India - Magic Bus, Doorstep, and India's Childline, which support vulnerable children in Mumbai and across India.
William and Kate's six-day tour of India and Bhutan will begin on Sunday. But security has already been tightened ahead of their arrival following a police warning of a possible terror threat, according to reports from Indian media.
Punjab police are reported to have issued an alert regarding terrorists who may have crossed into the country.
People have been warned to be vigilant, especially in crowded places, and there are concerns that Mumbai and New Delhi, which the royal couple will visit, could be the target of a number of Pakistani terrorists.
The trip will be the first time the Cambridges have visited the two countries and highlights include a visit to the Taj Mahal and a trip to pay their respects to India's founding father Mahatma Gandhi, at the place where he was assassinated in New Delhi in 1948.
The couple will travel to the Kaziranga National Park, a wildlife sanctuary and world heritage site which is home to two thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses as well as tigers, elephants and wild water buffalo.
On April 14, they will visit nearby Bhutan, a small landlocked country in the shadow of the Himalayan peaks which has a rich Buddhist tradition.
One of the country's major attractions is Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest monastery, and the royal couple will hike up to the religious centre perched on the side of a cliff.
The Bollywood dinner is being hosted by the British High Commission and the British Asian Trust, which supports grassroots initiatives in Asia that enable disadvantaged people to transform their lives, and has the Prince of Wales as its founder and president.
Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India, said: "Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to have this opportunity to celebrate India's notable contribution to cinema and to meet some of Mumbai's most influential people in film, sport and business.
"The Duke and Duchess take a particular interest in initiatives that promote the welfare of disadvantaged children, helping them access education and health services. They are pleased that the funds raised at this event for these important organisations will create a small legacy of their visit to India."
