International
Disney gives ‘Ferb’ pickup, major push
MUMBAI: Disney is getting serious about Phineas & Ferb, the animated TV show about a couple of brilliantly outlandish school kids. The show, on both the Disney Channel and Disney XD, not only got picked up for a third season, but a Christmas special and a music CD is in the works.
Disney ordered 35 more episodes, which will take the show to 100 total episodes. The third season also features a new recurring cast member: Jack McBrayer, the actor who plays Kenneth the page on “30 Rock.”
Phineas & Ferb, which also stars Ashley Tisdale, is about a couple of stepbrothers who spend their 104-day summer vacation masterminding one grandiose scheme after another. Tisdale plays the boy‘s sister, Candace, whose mission is to tattle on her precocious little brothers.
Co-created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh, it‘s the top-rated primetime animated show for children 6-11 and 9-14. Disney Channel entertainment president Gary Marsh hinted during the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas recently that bigger things were in store for the property.
“I am telling you all now, Phineas & Ferb is going to be our next worldwide sensation,” he said.
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.
