International
Anthony Zuiker signs new two-year deal with CBS
MUMBAI: CSI mastermind Anthony Zuiker has signed a two-year deal with CBS Studios.
He will remain as an executive producer of the three “CSI” series, but the focus under the new deal will be on developing new projects — primarily scripted and reality TV as well as publishing and cross-platform storytelling — through his production company Dare to Pass.
Zuiker came up with the name for the shingle after ABC famously passed on the Touchstone TV-developed CSI which ended up at CBS.
“If you pass on a project it may end up somewhere else,” Zuiker said. “I‘m daring them to pass.”
Weinberg, most recently a partner atmanagement/ production company Guy Walks Into a Bar, was the last person Zuiker interviewed for the job, but the two go back 10 years, before Zuiker became an overnight success with his first TV pilot script, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
At the time, Weinberg worked with Zuiker‘s longtime manager Margaret Riley and helped him with a feature script on which he was working. “I remember (Weinberg) brought out the best of me in writing the story,” Zuiker said.
Besides his relationship with CBS, Zuiker has been working on Level 26: Dark Origins, a multimedia “digi-novel” that Zuiker described as “an edgy version of CSI. Slated to be published by Dutton on Sept. 8, it‘s a book supplemented with three-minute “bridge” videos — on which Zuiker made his directorial debut — featuring characters from the novel.
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.
