Movies
Satyajit Ray’s work to be exhibited in UK
NEW DELHI: The British Film Institute (BFI) is hosting a special two-month festival of selected films of Satyajit Ray in London and will also put up an exhibition of Ray’s design works.
The exhibition, the first to be held in the United Kingdom, will take place at the BFI Southbank from 14 August until mid-October.
Before Ray directed Pather Panchali in 1955, he worked as a graphic designer for an advertising agency in Kolkata. In addition to creating over 30 films throughout his career he also designed many of their sets, costumes, credit sequences and posters.
A selection of the director’s poster designs will be on show in the Atrium at the BFI Southbank. It will include both original and facsimile posters, showcasing the best of Ray’s creations.
The BFI website said: “Ray’s unique graphic style owed as much to Indian art and indigenous folklore as it did to Western traditions. His wide-ranging poster designs encompass surreal photographic collages, ornate portraits as well as bold, typographic experiments, their imagery and lettering borrowing from scenes and motifs in his cinema. Far more than just a beautiful, eye-catching advertisement, each poster offers Ray’s own interpretation of his film as he distilled it into one image.”
The exhibition has been organised by Isabel Stevens, Maggi Hurt and Claire Smith. The posters have been sourced from the BFI National Archive and the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives and Ray Estate, Kolkata.
The films to be screened as part of Ray season in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in August are Pather Panchali, Aparajito,Jalsaghar, Apur Sansar, Devi, TeenKanya, Charulata, Kanchenjungha, Nayak,Kapurush, Chiriakhana, Abhijan and Parash Pathar. Mahanagar is also being screened to mark the 50th anniversary of the film.
Two documentaries directed by Ray- commemorating writer, artist and composer Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray’s father Sukumar Ray will also be screened.
A Masterclass on Pather Panchali by filmmaker and teacher Mamoun Hassan who headed the BFI in 1970s is also a part of the programme.
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.
