International
Oscar winner Joe Strick dies of cardiac failure
MUMBAI: Oscar-winning producer and director Joe Strick breathed his last after succumbing to congestive heart failure in a hospital in Paris. He was 86.
Strick is best known as the producer, director and co-writer of the 1967 film adaptation of the James Joyce novel Ulysses for which he was nominated with Fred Haines in the adapted screenplay category.
Strick won his Academy Award for the 1971 short documentary Interviews With My Lai Veterans that featured US soldiers present at the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.
Strick also wrote and directed wrote the 1960 film The Savage Eye with Ben Maddow and Sidney Meyers. The film earned BAFTA‘s Robert J. Flaherty Award for best documentary.
Strick also co-produced the 1983 film Never Cry Wolf with Lewis Allen and Jack Couffer and also the BBC documentary The Hecklers in 1996.
Strick is survived by his his wife Martine, five children Jeremy Strick, Betsy Strick, David Strick, Terence Strick and Helene Strick-Marchand and six grandchildren.
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.
