International
Masi Oka project set at DreamWorks
MUMBAI: DreamWorks has picked up The Defenders, a family adventure project conceived by Heroes actor Masi Oka to be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. D.J. Caruso is in negotiations to direct, and Gary Whitta is on board to write the script.
The story centers on a group of mostly teenagers from around the world who are involved in a multiplayer video game, each unaware of who they really are behind the cover of their consoles and avatars. They are forced to come together for a real adventure, becoming inadvertent heroes in the process. DreamWorks will develop a video game simultaneously with the feature.
Oka, who is the executive producer, came up with idea while playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), in that world‘s parlance.
“You can be whoever you want to be,” he said. “The question came to me: What if you had to live up to the person you created in the virtual world?”
Oka had met Kurtzman and Orci, whose Kurtzman/Orci Prods. is based at DreamWorks, at parties and taken a couple of meetings with them, hoping to score a role in one of their movies.
The pair was looking for “the kinds of movies that Amblin used to do, that combined an innocence with the adventure,” Orci said.
Once Oka, also a fan of those movies — epitomized by “The Goonies” — learned that, he pitched Kurtzman and Orci his idea. The duo went for it, and Oka has honed the concept for the past year, collaborating with them as they worked on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Kurtzman/Orci‘s Mandy Safavi also helped develop Defenders and will oversee for the company.
Oka and Whitta, who also plays online games, bonded over their love of the medium‘s World of Warcraft. Kurtzman and Orci ensnared Caruso, with whom they worked on the 2008 thriller Eagle Eye.
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.
