International
Run up to Oscars starts today after ballots are in
MUMBAI: With the final ballots due to reach the Academy’s accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the run for the 2011-2012 Oscars will begin after the race for the same that began six months ago will come to an official end tonight at 5 pm PST.
And with that all the films, the artistes and others in the fraternity will wait with bated breath for the award ceremony due coming Sunday at the Kodak Theatre.
Since PriceWaterhouseCoopers guards the results, it is very difficult to know how close some contenders came to winning, or how many Academy members participated in the voting process.
History has shown that many Hollywood-area voters wait until the last possible minute to fill out their ballots and then hand-deliver them to the Academy.
That process could cause some problems this year since the ballots of members who waited until Friday or Saturday last to send off their ballots forgetting that since Monday was President‘s Day, their ballots would not arrive in time to be counted.
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.
