International
Academy to honour Sophia Loren on 4 May
MUMBAI: Italian actress Sophia Loren will be honoured by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday for her half-dozen decades in cinema.
“It means a lot to an actress who has been working … such a long time in this field,” she says. “Even though I have an Oscar … when they called me from this building to invite me to another big honour, it is really very moving,” Loren has reportedly said.
Loren got her break in films as an extra in the 1951 MGM epic Quo Vadis and her breakthrough came in the Italian feature The Gold of Naples in 1954.
She got Hollywood recognition with Naples director Vittorio De Sica. In his Two Women, Loren played a mother who is raped while protecting her daughter in wartime. The performance earned her the first major Oscar for a non-English-language performance.
The Academy once again honoured her in 1991, with an award for her contributions to world cinema. Of her work, Loren is most fond of Two Women and A Special Day.
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
