Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Bangkok blues
|
Thanks to Ashayein there is hope for Nagesh Kukunoor after the disastrous Bombay to Bangkok
|
Photo D. Gopalakrishnan
new hope Nagesh Kukunoor believes in contra casting
Nagesh Kukunoor emerged as the new hope of the film industry with films like “Hyderabad Blues”, “Iqbal” and “Dor”. He believes people come to cinema halls just for entertainment, it is director’s job to lace
it with message. His last outing at the box office, “Bombay to Bangkok”, however proved to be neither here nor there. As he promises to turn the tide with “Aashayein”, here are excerpts from an interview:
What can we expect from Aashayein?
It’s about live life now. It’s about fulfilling your dreams. I am a little secretive about the plot but the story revolves around John Abraham who plays a gambler, whiling away without much purpose and how his life changes unexpectedly.
Something similar to your life’s graph?
In my case, it took me a long time to gather courage to leave engineering and do what I wanted to do. But yes, at least I was able to do it. I dread being an old man ruminating if I had taken a chance then…”
Do you agree our value system perpetuates planning?
Absolutely! It is grilled into the middle class children to build up the bank balance by following the trodden path.
I have met people who realise in the middle of their careers that they are not happy what they are doing. But then there are little options left. The new generation is much stronger in making its career decisions.
Why John?
Frankly speaking, I had not seen any of his work before casting him. Certain scripts require certain budgets and certain budgets require certain heroes.
John fit the slot. Unmindful of adjectives like cool dude, with which he is generally defined, I felt he has an extremely honest face. I am known for casting against the tide. Didn’t everyone say before ‘Dor’ Ayesha Takia is not meant to be taken in a serious role?
Another charge is you have taken too many projects… sometimes leading to problems with the cast?
I have a bigger team now so I don’t have to be present for every shot. The idea is to complete two films a year. Media made stories about ‘Eight By Ten’. We could not complete one schedule on time in Canada. There is no problem between Akshay and me. I do my research before casting an actor. I know he is a simple guy but doesn’t accept any nonsense. The film is 60 per cent complete.
You are among the first ones to sense that the marriage between big money commercial conglomerates and the sensible art cinema is possible with films like “Iqbal” and “Dor” produced by Mukta Arts and Sahara respectively. How is it going?
I always felt there is a territory between commercial and art cinema which needs to be explored.
Why should audience suffer garbage just because commercial cinema doesn’t rely on telling sensible stories or money-starved art cinema can’t think about a bigger canvas and ends up doing technically shoddy boring work?
Your “Bombay to Bangkok” was ripped apart by critics…
I accept the criticism but I don’t like people saying why has he tried such a subject after ‘Iqbal’ and ‘Dor’?
Here everybody wants to slot you while the very basis of my success lies in doing something against the tide. Sometimes you hit the bull’s eye sometimes you don’t.
ANUJ KUMAR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
