Bollywood film Dishoom begins 40-day shoot in Abu Dhabi

The cast and crew of Dishoom arrived in Abu Dhabi last week to begin a 40-day shoot for the Bollywood film.

Dishoom will be Abu Dhabi’s longest feature filming project to date.

More than 90 cast and crew will be involved in the shoot alongside a number of Emiratis who will intern on the production.

The Abu Dhabi locations that will serve the film’s storyline include Nurai, Saadiyat and Yas Islands, as well as Emirates Palace, Sheikh Zayed Stadium and Liwa Dessert.

Dishoom’s choice of Abu Dhabi as a filming location was announced in Mumbai last May during an event for the Bollywood filmmaking community hosted by twofour54 and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC) in conjunction with the Film & Television Producers Guild of India.

Dishoom is directed by Rohit Dhawan, while the producer of the film, Sajid Nadiadwala is one of Bollywood’s top producers and has delivered many hits at the box office such as Jeet (1996), Housefull (2010) and Kick (2014).

The action adventure will star John Abraham, Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez in the lead roles.

Maryam Al Mheiri, Chief Operating Officer of twofour54, said: “After a year packed with high-profile entertainment projects facilitated by twofour54, Dishoom continues the momentum of Abu Dhabi’s film production industry into 2016. Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment is one of the most reputable production companies in Bollywood and we look forward to working with them on what is sure to be another box office hit. To be shooting across many locations in the Capital shows the producers belief in the UAE as well as the services and facilities that we offer.”

In addition to Dishoom, twofour54 has attracted a number of major film productions over the last two years including Fast & Furious 7, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Bang Bang, Baby! and Deliver Us from Evil. Global television programmes such as The Bold and the Beautiful and BBC’s Top Gear have also been filmed in the Emirate.