International
Icahn threatens to sue Lions Gate
MUMBAI: A day after Lions Gate Entertainment made a defensive move that endangers the investor‘s long-running crusade to take over the studio, Carl Icahn has threatened to sue it.
Last Tuesday, as part of a complex debt-for-equity swap, Lions Gate issued new shares to its second-largest shareholder, Mark Rachesky that increased his holdings to around 29 per cent from 20 per cent. The action diluted the equity of all shareholders, including Icahn, whose stake fell to just over 33 per cent from nearly 38 per cent.
Rachesky, a former employee of Icahn‘s, is on Lions Gate‘s board.
Icahn has contended that the stock deal violates an agreement he and Lions Gate made for a 10-day truce that ended at midnight last Monday. Although Lions Gate announced the stock deal on Tuesday after the expiration of the agreement, Icahn and his lawyers said that they were going to look at whether the company had agreed to the debt-for-equity swap with Rachesky during the detente.
In a letter to Icahn dated 9 July outlining the truce, Lions Gate vice chairman Michael Burns had said that during the 10-day period, his studio would not “issue, agree to issue or authorize or propose the issuance of any securities to … any member of its board of directors or their affiliates.”
“Not only has Lions Gate‘s board diluted the company‘s shareholders in an attempt to entrench themselves, but it has violated the agreement it made with us, which among other things prohibited Lions Gate from issuing stock during this period,” commented Icahn.
Icahn said that he also intends to litigate against Lions Gate‘s recently adopted “poison pill,” which would make it difficult for him to accumulate more shares. The investor successfully persuaded regulators in Canada, where the company is legally based, to throw out a previous poison pill.
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.
