Malayalam movie shot in UAE all set for November release

Dubai’s turning out to be quite the favourite location among filmmakers, what with biggies from Hollywood, Bollywood, and South Indian cinema pitching their stories in the country.

After Tom Cruise scaled the Burj Khalifa, and Hrithik Roshan zoomed across the streets in Abu Dhabi, and Salman Khan kicked up a storm, and Shah Rukh boogied it up in Atlantis, it’s now time for a group from Malayalam cinema to step into the spotlight.

With yesteryear hero Shankar at the helm, the bunch of newcomers was excited to unleash their labour of work during the music launch at the Oberoi Hotel at Business Bay last week.

Apart from directing, Shankar also plays an important part in the film titled ‘Sand City’, which is a bilingual (Tamil and Malayalam).

“We had planned to launch the audio in Kerala, but we thought it wouldn’t do justice since our movie was shot in the UAE,” he said.

“The audio CD will be available in all leading music store across the Middle East on November 1,” said music director Gowtham at the music launch organised by Globuzz Events Management, Dubai.

The tracks flaunt Arabic influences as the story is set in the UAE, explained Gowtham.

Written and produced by MI Vasanthkumar, ‘Sand City’ has been shot extensively in Dubai, Ajman, Masafi, Dibba, and Jebel Hafeet, over a record 50 days, and will see a November release.

“Besides the iconic buildings, the emirates has many scenic locations that have been beautifully captured in our movie,” added Shankar.

Dubai girl Varuna Shetty will play one of female lead in the movie. Speaking to Emirates24|7, she spoke about striking the perfect balance with work and home. “I couldn’t have asked for a better movie to be part of. Firstly, it was shot entirely in Dubai so I didn’t have to travel far from home, and Shankar sir has been a great mentor, guiding me through every stage.”

At 24, and with an MBA in her kitty, Varuna isn’t stressed about how her acting career would shape. “This is my second film (her first being ‘Nirel’ in Tulu), so I’m still unsure about where I want to take my career. Let ‘Sand City’ release and I’ll see where I want to take my life.”

The movie, she believes, is a great effort, and is based on a true incident. “It’s about her rich father, and his daughter, and how their life in the UAE goes through many twists and turns.”

Despite performing in a language alien to her, Varsha said she managed with the help of the cast and crew. “I’ve had the dialogues written in English so I could say it fluently. But, often I would take time to comprehend what I was saying.”

Apart from Varsha, the cast also features a few Dubai residents. Starring Prajin Padmanabhan, Gautham Krishna, Thanishka, Varuna Shetty, Vinod Kumar, Jaise Jose and Shankar, ‘Sand City’ revolves around friendship, romance and the struggles faced by many who land in the UAE to chase their dreams.

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