International
Danny Boyle mum on Asia for next film
MUMBAI: Danny Boyle won‘t say whether his next film will be in Asia or take on an Asian angle, but the Slumdog Millionaire director seems to be whooping it up on his first visit to China as much as he did in India.
Boyle, who has not previously seen festival jury duty, said he accepted Shanghai‘s invitation to be president of its competition jury because Slumdog Millionaire was allowed to be widely released in China.
“I feel it as a courtesy and a responsibility,” he said. “Also, the world is obsessed with this city and on a personal level I wanted to come and see.”
During the festival he has been energetic, accessible and, despite seeing three films per day, has often been spotted hanging out in the lobby of the adjacent hotel.
Boyle describes the jury process as “valuable, because we are helping to build profile and careers,” but he admits to being “concerned about not being too bossy. All directors have a tendency to be bossy.”
So far, he has also managed to kept quiet about his next project which will come under a recent three-picture deal with Fox Searchlight and Pathe. While they have optioned rights to Suketu Mehta‘s Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found,” a book that also served as a reference while shooting Slumdog, Boyle said that will not be first up.
“I‘m looking forward to going back to Bombay, what a great place for a thriller, it has so many elements,” he said.
Nor is Boyle put off by the tumultuous reactions within India to his picture or the media circus that has surrounded the film‘s treatment of the child actors. “We‘ll use some of it in the next pictures,” he said. We‘ve made a lot of decisions (about trusts and 10-year education plans for the kids) which we‘ll stick to.”
En route to China‘s business capital Boyle stopped off in Beijing and Hong Kong, where he met up with an old pal from school. “I‘ve just seen three amazing Asian cities,” he said. “There‘s an appetite for cinema in Asia that Hollywood doesn‘t recognize yet,” he said while discussing the region‘s onscreen talent.
On Tuesday, Boyle and fellow jurors took time out from the screening rooms to visit the filming of period actioner “Bodyguards and Assassins,” shooting an hour outside the city on a backlot where Hong Kong‘s Central district, circa 1905, has been rebuilt on a full scale. “The scale and ambition on display were amazing. This (set) could be the difference between getting a film made or not,” he said.
Boyle said he has been little changed by “Slumdog” bandwagon. “It seems to have changed everyone else, I continue in the same vein,” he said. “I was lucky to have a success. And I continue to aim to be ambitious, to promise myself ‘don‘t be careful,‘ and to enjoy a spirit of recklessness.”
As to the films seen he and the jury have seen at the halfway mark: “Quality simply surges out.”
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.
