International
Rashaana Shah: Living her passion
LOS ANGELES: You may not have heard of Rashaana Shah yet but the chances are good this will soon change. This former Bollywood actress turned Hollywood film producer and entrepreneur is literally exploding onto the scene with films such as the cutting-edge comedy/reality-check, Blowing Up Right Now to the uplifting holiday fare, A New Christmas.
“My years as an actress is a lot of what I am today,” stated Shah about her time in Bollywood. Her leap to Hollywood was in part due to the unique opportunities for independent filmmakers. In 2012, she co-founded Mulberry Films, headquartered in Los Angeles and Mumbai, which focuses on bestselling books for film and television adaptation. Shah consciously picks books based on true-life events and with real heroes that can resonate broadly across global audiences.
A project based upon the Uttarakhand tragedy is in the works. Centred on true-life events which date back to 1965 when the United States CIA and Indian officials collaborated to set-up a listening device on Nanda Devi, the second-highest mountain in India, overlooking a Chinese Nuclear test site. The listening device, which was powered by radioactive plutonium, was lost in the expedition to install it and never found. It is speculated the plutonium being released by the device may have triggered the glacier burst above Uttarakhand.
Nanda Devi was recently in the headlines because of the tragic glacier burst in Uttrakhand that resulted in the death of at least fifty people.
Other projects in various stages of funding and production include, The Collaborator, an adaptation of the bestselling book by Mirza Waheed, a gripping story on the long-lasting effects of war and an adaption of The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz, a dystopian story set in futuristic Egypt about a centralized authority controlling the lives of the masses.
Mulberry is also the co-executive producer on the television show Ungifted, based on the children's novel by Gordon Korman. The project was picked up by Nickelodeon in 2020 prior to the pandemic, and is soon to get into production. Shah has also starred in multiple Bollywood and international films that have won international accolades and awards including Colors of Passion by renowned director Ketan Mehta and IFC TV miniseries Bollywood Hero by comedian Chris Kattan.
Speaking of filmmaking in general, Shah stated, “If you want to have a global impact there are only two ways of doing it, you become a president of a country or you make a big Hollywood Film.”
Her advice to other aspiring women filmmakers in India, in the United States and beyond: “Support each other,” Shah said, “and don’t fear society…be fearless.”
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
