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For him, it's India calling
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Nagesh Kukunoor is back with Iqbal that is poised to hit the theatres soon
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I come to each film fresh with the idea of making something unique: nagesh Kukunoor
Photo: D. GOPALAKRISHNA
MAVERICK MOVES Nagesh Kukunoor does not like to go with the trend
Ever since he rolled out his first movie eight years ago, Nagesh Kukunoor has been churning out films — the sequel Hyderabad Blues 2-Rearranged Marriage, Teen Deewarein and Rockford included.
If his debut Hyderabad Blues was a spoof on the travails of a Hyderabadi NRI, Bollywood Calling was a comical take on the Bollywood, and Teen Deewarein, a compelling saga.
He doesn't buy the idea of defining his movies into festival films — "stuff that doesn't run in theatres" or commercial films. His SIC production house that he started post-Hyderabad Blues, he claims, stands for Stability Is a Curse!
"I don't go with trends. I make movies on subjects I enjoy most. I make my kind of films. (Laughs.) I never wanted to be slotted or written off as director who makes one genre of films. I made a conscious effort after Bollywood Calling to make Teen Deewarein. I want to keep the `what is he giving next' element up. So, I come to each film fresh with the idea of making something unique," he says in a tête-à-tête, during his brief visit home from LA.
June-end release
Titled Iqbal, the Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts Limited production is slated for a June-end release, "maybe a more realistic July release. We have wrapped up the shoot. This is a relatively big film. We are looking for a wider release," he explains.
Kukunoor repeats Naseeruddin Shah for the film along with theatre veteran Girish Karnad. "Iqbal is about the underdog, following dreams and beating the odds. It's about an 18-year-old boy, the protagonist, who aspires to be a cricketer and wants to make it to the Indian cricket team. We have found a good cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee, who has Road and Lucky to his credit," he adds.
One is reminded of his Amitabh Bachchan starrer Tandoor that has been simmering on the backburner for a while. "It was supposed to happen two years ago. There was a creative difference with the producer. It is a function of getting the right actor and the bank. When you get one, you don't get another. It is a project I hope to start again," he says.
Looking back, his all-time favourite has been Bollywood Calling. "When I watched it on cable recently, I thought it was beyond ridiculous and well portrayed by Om Puri. Especially the scene when he explains to the white guy why he should cry. In fact, I used it to explain cultural differences during my recent talk, Globalisation and Independent Film Making: Chances and Challenges, at University of Hartford, Connecticut," says Kukunoor.
Short films
He is enthused by the trend of short films catching up in the cities. "The independent or short film momentum is taking wing. Earlier they were made by NFDC, now you have individuals making smaller films, as it is done worldwide," he says.
On living between two time zones: "I try to spend my time between the U.S. and India. It helps making contacts, keep connections alive and get to know about new techniques in the market."
"Where do I belong? I keep floating between the two places. Making films keep me happy here. I can't complain. I have a career I wanted, that's a huge plus," says the director, a far different avatar from the fretful NRI protagonist in Hyderabad Blues. For the moment Iqbal it is, a film he plans to take to the international market.
SYEDA FARIDA
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