New Delhi: Russian producers have collaborated with their industry colleagues in India as well as those from the international film industry to produce a musical comedy: ‘Persimmon of my love.’
This marks the first Russian feature film, which was extensively shot in India. It is also the first major such joint film project since the Soviet era.
More than 350 Indian and international crew were involved in its shooting, while certain episodes involved 1,000 people appearing on the screen simultaneously.The musical comedy is set to hit the big screen on 1 April in Moscow.
Prominent Russian actors Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan essay the role of brothers. The cast also includes actors, including Adila Ragimova, Albina Kabalina, Artur Vakha, and Sergey Rost.
The movie follows a classic Bollywood storyline where one brother is a police officer, whereas the other is a charismatic criminal who was separated during childhood. The theme of the movie revolves around justice and family values, with linguistic and cultural barriers.
Tina Kandelaki, deputy general director of Gazprom-Media Holding and director of the TNT channel, underscored that such initiatives are necessary to deepen the collective traditions between the two countries.
“Russia and India have developed a strong partnership for decades, and culture has always played an important role in that relationship. This film shows how organically the creative traditions of the two countries can merge: Bollywood’s emotions and music, and the Russian drama school,” Kandelaki stated.
To grasp the Indian aesthetics, the production was expanded to Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan, which include forts and ancient architecture to provide the visual foundation to the fictional city of ‘Khurmada’.
Film director Marius Weisberg was astonished by the technical proficiency and speed of the local teams.
“We worked in several teams simultaneously, including separate groups for stunts and crowd scenes. I was astonished by the professionalism and the speed at which the Bollywood teams worked,” he said.
“When I read the script, I immediately understood that it was an opportunity to create something completely new and to work with the Bollywood aesthetic. It was a great honour to direct the film in collaboration with Indian professionals.”
Highlighting the movie’s immersive nature, actor Adila Ragimova said India became an integral part of the visual and emotional world of the story. “Learning lines in Hindi, rehearsing dances with Bollywood choreographers, and working with Indian colleagues was a unique experience,” she said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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