International
12 Indian scriptwriters at Locarno’s Open Doors
MUMBAI: From over 200 projects submitted in 18 different languages from 30 regions in India, the following twelve were selected to participate in Open Doors, the 2011 Festival del film Locarno‘s co-production lab.
They are Aharbal Falls by Ajay Raina, Ajeeb Aashiq by Natasha Mendonca, Arunoday/Sunrise by Partho Sen Gupta, Burqa Boxers by Alka Raghuram, Char, The Island Within by Sourav Sarangi, Jat Panchayat/The Judgement by Satish Manwar, Lasya/The Gentle Dance by Anup Singh, Samaadhi/The Penance by Sidharth Srinivasan, Sebastian Wants to Remember by Vasant Nath, The Trapper‘s Snare by Shanker Raman, Thread/Le Fil by Lilium Leonard and Vidhvastha/Devastated by Ashish Avikunthak.
Among the 12 Indian scripts that competed at the Locarno‘s Open Doors, 2011, the main prize of 50,000 Swiss Francs was shared by the two top winners. Shanker Raman was awarded 30,000 Swiss Francs for his script of The Trapper‘s Snare, Alka Raghuram was awarded 20,000 Swiss Francs for her script of Burqa Boxers, produced by her.
While the Rucha Pathak produced The Trapper‘s Snare is the spiritual journey of 15-year-old Sundaran, his experiences and realisations, and the rite of going into adulthood, Burqa Boxers is about three young Muslim girls learning boxing at a little gym in Kolkata, each one a warrior determined to knock out a few stereotypes.
The CNC (Centre National du Cinema et de L‘image Animee awarded a grant of 7,000 Euros to Anup Singh for his script in Lasya (The Gentle Dance) produced by Johannes Rexin. The film, set in Mumbai, a city steadily flooded by raging monsoon rains, in which a beggar child is fatally hit by a truck. Her young mother is determined to fulfill her promise to the child that she will find the father who had deserted them a long time ago.
The grant of 6,000 Euros for development from ARTE was awarded to Char … The Island Within, produced and directed by Sourav Sarangi.
The film follows a 14 year old boy who lives near a river that eroded an entire village – his home, his school, green fields and the large banyan tree.
Since its inception, Open Doors has showcased projects from Cuba and Argentina, countries in the Mekong, the Maghreb, South-East Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), the Near and Middle East (Mashrek), Latin America, Greater China and, in 2010, central Asia.
India was the country of focus for the Locarno‘s 2011 Open Doors.
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.
