The super smooth Idris Elba proved just how romantic he could be by proposing to his girlfriend of one year Sabrina Dhowre in a London cinema full of people during the preview for his directorial debut 'Yardie' over the weekend. Spoiler alert! She said yes.

Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre at the Ferrari: Under The Skin exhibitionIdris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre at the Ferrari: Under The Skin exhibition

It might not sound like the most romantic of settings, but the 45-year-old wanted to make the preview of his first ever feature film directing venture at Rio Cinema in East London on Saturday (February 10th 2018) all the more special by asking his girlfriend to marry him. She certainly seemed to appreciate the gesture.

'Another Rio Cinema first! Still 5 days to Valentine's Day but Idris Elba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning before a preview of his film 'Yardie'', the cinema wrote on Twitter, as various witnesses unveiled mobile phone footage of the moment on social media.

'I was already emotional because I was about to see myself on screen, but that made me even more emotional', rising star and 'Yardie' actor Adnan Mustafa told the BBC. 'We all stood up and clapped. I'm grateful I was there to witness it. It was such a beautiful moment. And that set the tone throughout the whole film for me. The lights went out and I already had tears in my eyes. Sabrina was so happy.'

Idris and Sabrina first met while the actor was shooting 'The Mountain Between Us' with Kate Winslet in Canada. 'Falling in love while making a movie about falling in love is pretty special', he told People. 

He has previously been married to make-up artist Hanne Norgaard with whom he has a 15-year-old daughter named Isan, as well as a lawyer named Sonya Hamlin for a brief six months. He also has a 3-year-old son named Winston with ex-girlfriend Naiyana Garth.

More: Kate Winslet talks filming sex scenes with Idris Elba

Meanwhile, 'Yardie' is a crime drama based on Victor Headley's 1992 novel of the same name, telling the story of a young man named Denis Dread who travels to London to hunt down his younger brother's killer. The movie was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival.