Elena Onegina – Opening of the Bollywood House in Mumbai and a documentary about the Indian film industry
On February 18, 2026, Mumbai will host a significant event – the opening of the Bollywood House, which was initiated by the BRICS Cultural Media Forum – BCMF.
Of course, cultural interaction between the BRICS and BRICS plus countries, establishing constructive practical ties in the cinematographic community and discussing the creation of humane films that will become moral beacons for future generations are the main topics of the event. The correspondent of The Times of Russia, Sofia Zolotova, in the format of a confidential conversation about the role of cinema in people’s lives and the role of people in the life of cinema, talked with one of the honored guests of the event in Mumbai, producer and journalist Elena Onegina, better known to the general public under the creative pseudonym Agent Blonde. Elena Onegina will visit Mumbai on an honorable mission: Her studio Agent Blonde has started filming an amazing project, a documentary about the history of the creation of the Indian Bollywood dream factory.
Sofia Zolotova: Good afternoon, dear Elena, please tell us about your fascinating creative journey, about your magical journey into the world of cinema – how you managed to combine the appearance of a daring, expansive “blonde” and at the same time a calculating intellectual who is able to prepare a unique interview with interlocutors of various profiles – from a billionaire to the captain of an intergalactic ship.
Elena Onegina: You know, Sofia, I haven’t reached the captain of the intergalactic ship yet, I think that this captain is Elon Musk. And I would really like to meet him, and a strong desire, as you know, is the main factor in any achievement. As for the characters I interviewed, they really are people from very different backgrounds, including actors and directors, politicians, businessmen and athletes. All these people are united by fortitude and confidence in their success. The concept of my project is based on talking to the strongest and most successful people in the world in the language of success – confidence and determination. In order to inspire a wide audience to great achievements. Yes, success is not easy, and not everyone chooses the path to be successful – sometimes your wings are torn to shreds by headwinds. But obstacles make us stronger, and I would like people to believe in their dreams and, most importantly, make them come true.
Sofia Zolotova: Thank you, Elena! I must admit, I am incredibly amazed by your soft and hard skeels, your charisma and unstoppability. Please tell me – is this genre of combining documentaries, journalism and feature films, as far as I understand, your life credo and your own brand?
Elena Onegina: You know, I am a person who came to journalism from art. Initially, I’m an Artist, and then I’m a critic. I danced classical ballet, but over time I was lured away by the world of journalism, so to speak, the temptation with a plus sign. And most likely because of my delicate attitude to the world of aesthetics, I decided to do all my films and interviews as elegantly as possible, so to speak. That is, for me, style is a credo, passion is nothing, and image is everything!
Sofia Zolotova: That’s a great way to put it, Elena! In the best traditions of French aphorism. By the way, let’s talk about France. I know that at one time you managed to communicate closely with such French legends, with two veterans, I would even say titans of cinema like Pierre Richard and Jean Paul Belmondo. So, Russia and France are two countries so close to each other and at the same time distant from each other, with magnetically overlapping civilizations. You have been living in France for quite a long time and you know the secrets of this country, first of all the Parisian secrets. Share your strongest, indelible insights about France!
Elena Onegina: Oh Sofia,
You know, France is both a wonderful and treacherous country. She attracts me and rejects me at the same time. I really love our Russian culture, mentality, and the pace of life in Moscow. France is primarily about details, details in food, details in style. The details can be savored like fine cheeses.
The best cars, clothes, shoes, and perfumes are made in Europe. But you know, maybe our opinion of Europe is a little outdated. Look at how many people have switched to Chinese cars. And thanks to the sanctions, Russian brands began to flourish.
Sofia Zolotova: Elena, please tell us which of the projects you have implemented is closest to your heart and why?
Elena Onegina: I am currently working for the French edition of GQ. This status publication talks about life lifestyle and targets a male audience: all about expensive cars, planes, yachts, and so on. But the main project I’m working on, which I’m “breathing”, is, of course, AGENT BLONDE, a reality show with elements of feature films and investigative journalism, in which I show how to reach, reach, and make a global celebrity open up, who before that was literally indifferent to your creative process in in the form of an author’s interview. At the same time, of course, I use not quite standard methods for journalism, I work as an investigator, as a spy, as a “double agent”, if you will.
Sofia Zolotova: Yes, Elena, your strategy excites the imagination! Tell us about your upcoming projects.
Elena Onegina: There are a lot of them, but let me tell you about the main direction. We decided to launch a series based on real events. The story of how the AGENT BLONDE project was born. We have already worked out the script, it will be an action-packed series in which we want to show the real story of a girl who has gone through a very difficult and interesting path.
Sofia Zolotova: Elena, I know that you have been invited as an honored guest to the opening of the Bollywood House in Mumbai. Please tell us, what do you think about Indian cinema in general?
Elena Onegina:
Oh, you know, I remember how my parents were madly in love with Indian cinema! In Soviet times, it was just a must-see! Drama, music – it was just a standard of cultural enrichment and a must-see. Indian cinema touches your heart like no other movie, if you have a heart, of course. Frankly, it would be interesting for me to make a documentary about Bollywood. Bollywood is a lump, it’s a different civilization, and it’s significantly different from Hollywood. I know that there are several large companies in India that make movies, but at the same time, the very backstage of Bollywood, its aesthetics, its ragged breathing – I think all this is worthy of a vivid film narrative. Once I did an interview with Pierre Richard, we were sitting at his house in Paris with his cat Mia. And he told me an amazing story. He flew to Moscow during the Soviet Union and was absolutely shocked by how many people and fans were waiting for him at the airport! He did not know that he was so popular in the USSR. But at that time, Indian and European cinema was very important for the Soviet people. And when Pierre Richard went to Red Square in the morning, two women came up to him and started crying, he did not understand what was happening, but they said they recognized him. Films with his participation gave them a huge light in life, gave them unforgettable humor and laughter! In the same way, I think Indian cinema has given and continues to spread light.
Sofia Zolotova: Well, Elena, we sincerely wish you, on behalf of The Times of Russia, to recharge yourself with this inner light of Bollywood and carry it on to numerous viewers.
Elena Onegina: Thank you, Sofia! See you in Bollywood!
Sofia Zolotova: See you in Bollywood!
