Bollywood Romance 'Weekend' Targets First-Ever Indian Shoot in Yakutia

Producer Vivek Singhania's banner Picture Perfect has signed a memorandum of understanding with Yakutia's Saidam Baryl and Sakhafilm to explore shooting the Indian romantic drama "Weekend" in Russia's Sakha Republic. If the film goes ahead, it would be the first Indian feature ever shot in the region.

The three-way MoU was signed during the recently concluded 9th Yakutsk International Film Festival. Yakutia, in Russia's Far East, has built a reputation for some of the country's most distinctive independent filmmaking.

"Weekend" follows Varun and Kaya, two young people whose chance meeting turns into a weekend that alters their lives. The project was first developed around Indian locations. Producers are now weighing a reworked version built around Yakutia's scenery and culture.

Possible locations include:

• The regional capital, Yakutsk
• The Lena River
• The Lena Pillars, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Isolated rural villages

The region's summer white nights (the near-endless daylight of far-northern summers) could also give the romance an unusual visual register.

"Indian cinema has always had the power to take audiences to extraordinary destinations," said Singhania, producer and founder of Picture Perfect. "Yakutia offers landscapes, culture and visual possibilities that Indian audiences have rarely experienced on screen. We are excited to explore how 'Weekend' could bring these two worlds together through a story with universal emotional appeal. I believe this collaboration could open a new and exciting chapter between Indian cinema and the filmmakers of Yakutia."

Who does what under the deal?

The MoU sketches a clear division of labor. Saidam Baryl and Sakhafilm would serve as the film's principal local production partners. Picture Perfect will steer development and look for Indian production partners. Saidam Baryl will weigh local production, creative adaptation and on-the-ground coordination, while Sakhafilm — the republic's state film company — would contribute infrastructure, technical resources, local know-how and access to filming locations.

Stepan Burnashev, the filmmaker and producer who heads Saidam Baryl and serves as executive director of the Sakha Filmmakers Association, frames the pact as more than a service deal for visiting crews. "It is about creating meaningful creative partnerships, exchanging experience and telling stories that can connect with audiences across cultures," Burnashev said. "India has one of the world's largest and most influential film industries, and we see great potential in working together. 'Weekend' could become an important first step toward a long-term relationship between our film communities."

Alexey Egorov, general director of Sakhafilm, said the region now has a homegrown industry built on skilled filmmakers, seasoned crews and one-of-a-kind locations. "The possibility of bringing an Indian feature film to Yakutia is particularly exciting, as it could open new opportunities for our local professionals and introduce our region to millions of Indian moviegoers," Egorov said. "We hope this partnership will become a starting point for future collaborations between the film industries of India and Yakutia."

What does this change for the production?

Not much yet, formally. The MoU is non-binding, and financing, the shooting schedule and the co-production structure all remain unsettled. The timeline so far: Singhania and Burnashev began talking earlier this year, Picture Perfect sent a formal letter of interest in June, and the new pact brings Sakhafilm to the table. Next come a script rework for the Yakutia setting, production planning, financing and Indian partner recruitment, with a location scout under consideration for 2027.

The partners are also eyeing a tourism dividend. Singhania's earlier films and web series featured Germany, London, Paris, Dublin, Bangkok and Muscat, and he says tourism boards logged increased inquiries from Indian viewers and diaspora fans keen to visit those shooting locations.

The track records on both sides are substantial. Singhania's credits include Bollywood features "Na Tum Jaano Na Hum" and "Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne," consulting producer roles on "Namastey London," "Aap Kaa Surroor," "Badass Ravikumar" and "Dishkiyaaoon," plus international work on "Hexing," "Karma: Crime Passion Reincarnation," "Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden" and "Indisch fur Anfanger." Saidam Baryl's titles include "Black Snow," "Yt," "Aita" and "The Penthouse," while Sakhafilm has been involved in "The Lord Eagle" (2018), "The Sun Above Me Never Sets" (2019) and "Don't Bury Me Without Ivan" (2022).

The deal forms part of a wider push by the Yakutsk festival to connect local filmmakers with overseas producers, especially from Asia, positioning the region as a creative collaborator as much as a backdrop.