Meet the Emiratis who dubbed the first-ever Malayalam film in Arabic

The UAE is set to mark yet another significant milestone, this time in the entertainment space. Cinema enthusiasts can head to the theatres to watch the highly-anticipated Arabic version of Indian superstar Mammootty’s action-packed film Turbo, scheduled to premiere in UAE cinemas on August 2.

Turbo Arabic is set to be the first Emirati-dubbed Malayalam film to have a theatrical release in the region. Renowned Emirati content creator Ahmad Al Marzooqi (@chai_with_ahmad on Instagram) was among several other locals brought on board to dub the characters in the film.

When we ran into Al Marzooqi at the film's premiere on July 30, he shared how elated he feels to be a part of the project. Al Marzooqi's love for Indian films dates back to the release of Khal Nayak in 1993, when the Emirati watched the Sanjay Dutt-starrer with his mother for the first time.

After that, he says in a chat with City Times, "I told my mom that I want all TV channels about Bollywood. Now, they call me Bollywood Wikipedia, I watch these films without subtitles."

That's how it started for Al Marzooqi. Fast-forward to 2024, he's lending his voice to several characters in the film. Was it easy, we asked. For Al Marzooqi, who has been doing voice-overs for his own channel, it was "kind of easy" as he understood the situation and tonality of every scene that was required. "I gave my best and I was happy that they loved it, and ended up giving me three extra characters to voice," he said.

Being a part of this maiden project has left Al Marzooqi proud of himself. "It is a completely new step and I really hope it grows because now I know we have so many talented Emirati youth," he said. "We've opened an opportunity for everyone, and if Turbo Arabic becomes a success, then we can do more dubbing for Indian and other kinds of films."

The project features 17 voice artists, including 11 young Emirati talents, showcasing a strong commitment to empowering local talent in the entertainment industry both nationally and internationally.

At the helm of this project, however, stand two Emirati girls who are known for their fluency in Malayalam language. Noora and Mariam Al Helali, along with Rebin Areef, Marketing Head at Truth Global Films, kickstarted this dream project and turned it into a reality in just three weeks.

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