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The filming of the Telugu movie, DJ has come to a successful completion.

Starring Allu Arjun and Pooja Hedge, the film was produced by Dil Raju’s Sri Venkateswara Creations and was shot over twelve days in eleven locations across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi has seen a surge in interest as the location of choice for Indian filmmakers, and this film, with 120 members of crew and over 40 dancers, marked the first from the Telugu industry, or ‘Tollywood’, one of the largest in India and producing on average 300 films per year.

“I have shot five films in India and for this my sixth film I wanted something completely new. Something exciting to match the script. I had seen movies made in Abu Dhabi and I knew this was the perfect location,” said Harish Shankar, writer and director of DJ. “I particularly appreciated the close assistance offered by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, who helped me to discover different locations to support the storyline and facilitated the filming process for us. I found the whole experience to be very smooth and everyone was very cooperative.”

twofour54 is the home of Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment industry, and operated under the ownership of the Media Zone Authority. The Abu Dhabi Film Commission serves to enable filming across the Emirate, work with local authorities to ensure efficient processes, and provide a gateway to UAE support services and companies. Abu Dhabi has successfully hosted three large-scale Bollywood films in as many years, with ADFC working alongside twofour54’s production service division to ensure a world-class service and product.

“Working together with the team on the production of DJ has been a pleasure, and we are very proud of the work that has been put into bringing this filming to a close in Abu Dhabi,” said Jassim Al Nowais, Manager of ADFC. “The twelve day shoot across the Emirate highlighted eleven of the unique locations we have to offer, all supported by the public and private sector as well as a highly efficient film infrastructure. This is the first time we have worked with the Tollywood film industry, bringing together key figures in South Indian cinema, and we look forward to getting to work on the next project in the pipeline.”

Filmmakers from around world are increasingly attracted to Abu Dhabi’s wide range of easily-accessible locations, production and post-production facilities and film industry service partners, and for the Indian film industry, Abu Dhabi is only a few hours away.

“What sets twofour54 apart from other media hubs is its integrated industry ecosystem enabling quality content creation; the infrastructure, including superior post-production facilities, is unmatched in the region,” said Maryam Al Mheiri, the Acting CEO of the Media Zone Authority and twofour54. “We offer production and post-production services across many formats, and our global teams work seamlessly with clients from all over the world. Although we have worked on many successful Bollywood titles, this is our first Tollywood film and marks a very exciting step for us. South Indian cinema typically involves a wide range of locations and requires sophisticated post-production services. Film makers are seeking out our high level of production expertise to help them deliver a world-class product.”

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