International
Hawley in a deal with ABC Studios
MUMBAI: ABC will stay in business with The Unusuals creator Noah Hawley, who has inked a blind deal with sister ABC Studios to write two new projects.
First off the New York native joined a rock band as a singer-guitarist and did a series of gigs on the East Coast. “I was gonna be a rock star but got tired of living in a van with three filthy, penniless men,” he said.
Disillusioned with the music business, where success has “so little to do with the quality of the music,” Hawley, who was also the band‘s songwriter, decided he wanted to write more in-depth stories.
So he switched to books, publishing his first novel, A Conspiracy of Tall Men in 1997. That was followed by two more, “Other People‘s Weddings” in 2003 and The Punch in 2007.
In between the first two books, both of which were optioned by Paramount, he wrote a feature script that became the 2006 film The Alibi starring Steve Coogan.
The ABC Studios then approached Hawley about a deal. For his encore Hawley is looking to employ some of the storytelling elements he used on Unusuals where stories with different characters often intersected in unexpected ways. Also, he plans to continue mixing comedy and drama.
On the feature side, Hawley, repped by CAA and McKuin Frankel Whitehead, has two feature scripts he wrote with his twin brother Alexi — Dead in the Water and Home Free — in contention at Touchstone.
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.
