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28 March 2024

Bollywood filmmakers fall for scenic Fujairah

Bollywood actress Mugdha Godse in between the filming of 'Will You Marry Me?' on location in Fujairah. (XAVIER WILSON)

Published
By Rachel McArthur

The UAE is fast becoming one of the most popular filming locations for Bollywood productions.

Hot on the heels of Salman Khan appearing at the Dubai Metro last month (for his upcoming movie Dabangg), the latest project to be shot in the country is that of director Aditya Datt's Will You Marry Me?, set for release next January.

Filming for the romantic comedy, which stars Muzamil Ibrahim, Rajiv Khandelwal, Mugdha Godse, Celina Jaitley and Shreyas Talpade , is currently taking place in Fujairah at the Rotana Resort and Spa. In an interview with Emirates

Business, Datt revealed that 60 per cent of the finished production will feature the emirate. "We've been shooting for 15 days and we're carrying on for three more days," he said. "Sixty per cent of the film's story is set in the UAE."

The director added that he chose the emirate after visiting it on a previous trip to the UAE – despite the fact that filming in Dubai would have been more convenient.

"Will You Marry Me? features a beach resort wedding, so I chose this location as I was previously holidaying in Dubai when I ended up going to the resort for a day with a couple of friends, and I truly enjoyed it," he said. "In terms of cost, it's almost the same. However, filming in Dubai is more convenient in terms of sourcing property, having access to the city, as well as having easier access to artists. We have a cast and crew of around 100 on set, and many had to be driven in from Dubai and Sharjah."

The film centres around three friends who love their bachelorhood so much they place a bet among themselves; that whoever decides to marry first will lose a huge amount in shares that were contributed by all three. All is going well until one decides to take the plunge and make a commitment. Though reluctant to reveal the film's budget, Datt asserted the UAE would remain a popular location for years to come.