New Delhi: A Bollywood-style musical comedy shot entirely in India is set to bring song, dance, and Russian humour to cinemas across Russia on 1 April 2026. “Persimmon of My Love” marks the first major Russian-Indian film collaboration since the Soviet era and the first Russian wide-release feature filmed from start to finish on Indian soil.
More than 350 Indian and international crew members worked on set daily, with some crowd scenes featuring up to 1,000 people on screen, a scale that echoes classic Bollywood spectacles. The story follows two brothers separated in childhood, one an upright police officer, Ramash, and the other a charismatic criminal, Shamar. Their clash of justice, family secrets, romance, and adventure unfolds against the vibrant backdrop of a fictional Indian city called Khurmada.
Popular Russian comedians Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan star as the brothers, with Karibidis also writing the screenplay. The supporting cast includes Adila Ragimova, Albina Kabalina, Artur Vakha and Sergey Rost. Indian choreographer Jay Kumar staged the dance sequences, while Russian composer Zurab Matua created the original soundtrack, including songs performed in Hindi.
Filming took place in Mumbai’s bustling studios and the historic palaces and forts of Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan, using real heritage sites to capture the film’s colourful visual world. Tina Kandelaki, Deputy General Director of Gazprom-Media Holding and Director of the TNT channel, which co-produced the film with MyWayStudio, said, “Russia and India have developed a strong partnership for decades, and culture has always played an important role in that relationship.”
She explained, “This film shows how organically the creative traditions of the two countries can merge: Bollywood’s emotions and music and the Russian drama school.”
Director Marius Weisberg, known for hits such as Love in the Big Cityand The Taming of the Shrew, praised the Indian crew’s speed and professionalism. “I was astonished by the professionalism and the speed at which the Bollywood teams worked. This is an enormous industry capable of handling the greatest production challenges,” he said.
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Karibidis, who also served as creative producer, added, “A strong story is key to any successful international project. Audiences can understand it regardless of their country or culture. We made sure that humour, emotions, and visual storytelling would resonate with audiences everywhere.”
Producer Lika Blank described the project as “a new fairy tale created from scratch” about love, family, hope and light, told through music, humour and visual beauty. “It was important for us to honour Indian culture while creating an original international film,” she said.
The production, backed by the Russian Cinema Fund and Indian partners including ASB Film Village, comes as cultural and economic ties between Russia and India, and within BRICS, continue to grow. Russian audiences, long familiar with Indian cinema from Soviet times, may find the blend of Bollywood spectacle, gentle self-irony, and Russian comedy a fresh and timely treat. Persimmon of My Lovepremieres in Moscow on 1 April.
