International
Empire… director Kershner expires
MUMBAI: Veteran filmmaker Irvin Kershner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back expired Saturday last at the age of 87. He had waged a 3 1/2-year battle with lung cancer.
Kershner had already made several well-received films when Lucas tapped him to direct Empire. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars said he didn‘t want to direct the sequel himself. “I needed someone I could trust, someone I really admired and whose work had maturity and humor. That was Kersh all over,” Lucas said in a statement.
The Philadelphia-born Kershner studied music, painting and photography before turning to film. He attended the University of Southern California film school and in the 1950s made U.S. government documentaries in Greece, Iran and Turkey.
He was a director and cameraman for a television documentary series called Confidential File in Los Angeles before getting his first movie break in 1958 when Roger Corman helped finance his first feature, Stakeout on Dope Street that Kershner wrote and produced with colleague Andrew Fenady and Hollywood publicist Dick Guttman.
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.
