International
Kings Speech wins DGA, Sag Ensemble award
MUMBAI: Weinstein Company could‘t have rejoiced more as The Kings Speech has won both the Director‘s Guild of America (DGA) Award and the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) Award for best ensemble.
Earlier it had won the Producers Guild of America (PGA) award making it the clear favourite to win best film at the Oscar Awards next month. The race is as good as over. This marks a complete turnaround in the Oscar race. The Social Network won almost every critics award for Best Picture. It also won the Golden Globe for best picture, diretcor and screenplay.
The Guilds though felt differently in an overwhelming manner. It could be that the Social Network after so much critical acclaim wins just one Oscar for screenplay. If it does it has great company – Citizen Kane and Pulp Fiction. Coming back to the Sag awards the winners were as expected. Apart from the ensemble award The Kings Speech also saw Colin Firth pick up the best actor trophy.
The best actress was won by Natalie Protman playing a tormneted ballerina in Black Swan. It will probably be that Annette Bening who has been nominated for The Kids Are Alright loses the Oscar for the fourth time. The boxing move The Fighter won both supporting actor categories for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. All of them won at the Golden Globes as well. They especially Firth and Bale have won most of the critics awards. Unlike The Social Network though they should all pick up Oscars.
The huge surprise over the weekend was The Kings Speech helmer Tom Hooper winning the DGA over David Fincher for The Social Network. It had been widely expected that this would be Fincher‘s year. He lost a couple of years back to Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. That film set in Mumbai had like The Kings Speech also won DGA, PGA and the Sag ensemble before destroying the competition at the Oscar Awards.
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.
