International
Busan fest to honour director Tsui Hark
MUMBAI: The 16th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will honour director Tsui Hark as Asian Filmmaker of the Year for his contribution to the advancement of Asian cinema.
BIFF will celebrate the director‘s career of over three decades and will praise his achievement for bringing Hong Kong films to the international market. It was Tsui whp rewrote the history of Hong Kong films and contributed to the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema.
Tsui came into prominence in the 1980s after establishing his name as one of the pioneers of the Hong Kong New Wave with films like The Butterfly Murders (1979) and Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (1980).
He brought about the special effects era in Hong Kong cinema with Warriors From the Magic Mountain (1982) and revived the martial arts genre with A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) and Once Upon a Time in China (1990).
Tsui‘s next foray into 3D filmmaking with The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, is scheduled for release in December.
Directors who were earlier honoured by the BIFF were Hou Hsiao-hsien, the late Edward Yang and Tsai Ming-liang of Taiwan, Andy Lau of Hong Kong and Yash Chopra of India.
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.
