International
Gough Wehrenberg joins WBTV
MUMBAI: Veteran NBC comedy and current executive Erin Gough Wehrenberg has joined Warner Bros. TV as senior vice president comedy development.
Gough Wehrenberg, who exited as the No. 2 executive at Universal Media Studios as part of an NBC executive shake-up in December, will run day-to-day operations of WBTV‘s comedy department, reporting to executive vp creative affairs Len Goldstein.
Gough Wehrenberg, who starts Aug. 1, will fill a position that had been vacant since WBTV‘s previous head of comedy, senior vice president Marianne Cracchiolo Mago, left the entertainment business in 2007.
For the past two years, WBTV‘s comedy development efforts were spearheaded by Goldstein with the help of vps comedy Lisa Lang and Wendy Steinhoff-Baldikoski, who will work under Gough Wehrenberg.
Gough Wehrenberg spent 13 years at NBC Entertainment and sister production company UMS, most recently as executive vice president at UMS, where she oversaw comedy development and current programming for comedy and drama series until UMS merged with NBC in December.
From 2004-08, Gough Wehrenberg worked in series programming at NBC Entertainment, rising to executive vice president current series. She supervised such shows as 30 Rock,Friday Night Lights, Heroes, My Name Is Earl, The Office and Medium.
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.
