Written by new-contact on Nov 3, 2014. Posted in On Location

Bollywood movie Baby doubles Abu Dhabi for Turkey in pick-up filming

Bollywood movie Baby has doubled Abu Dhabi for the streets of Istanbul for pick-up filming. Star Akshay Kumar filmed scenes in the emirate city in September, but the production returned for additional shooting for the upcoming thriller, mostly for scenes set in a surveillance van.

“We’re shooting in the van, which is supposed to be in Turkey, so we’ve had to bring two of the actors over from Istanbul for these scenes,” Kumar told the National: “It’s a proper international story, with scenes in Nepal, Turkey, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, India - all over the place."

“When we shot here earlier it was just too hot," Kumar continued, "so we went back to Bombay and filmed some more scenes then came back to shoot here again. It’s a smaller crew here this time, just a mini-unit for five or six days – about 45 of us I think.

“I was just speaking to my producer about the experience here. I’ve shot in many other places and in Abu Dhabi it’s very clean and clear. You pay, you shoot, nobody’s going to stop you, nothing happens under the table [and] there’s no playing around. It’s all crystal clear. I love that."

It’s a proper international story, with scenes in Nepal, Turkey, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, India - all over the place.

Akshay Kumar, Actor

He adds: “Some places I’ve shot, they give the permission then somebody else comes in and says ‘You didn’t ask my permission so you have to give me money too’, and then somebody else comes in and the same thing. Film crews are soft targets because they have no other choice but to pay once they’re there. This place doesn’t have that at all. If your permissions are there, you’re fine.”

Abu Dhabi is a huge appeal for Bollywood productions as it offers exotic scenery and a 30% filming incentive within easy reach of India. The incentive is also helping to attract Hollywood shoots and the city scored a major success earlier this year by hosting scenes for Star Wars: Episode VII.