JOIN USWhen the path-breaking movie Hyderabad Blues released in 1998, Indian audiences woke up to cinema that could be realistic and engaging at the same time. At the helm of affairs was the director, who also played the film’s protagonist — Nagesh Kukunoor — who has since made several movies that have certainly changed the face of Indian cinema.
Being a good student in Maths and Science, Nagesh admits that he was conditioned to believe that he had to pursue a career in Engineering, and after working as a techie in the US, he realised that this was not his cup of tea. A movie buff who loved watching movies as a child, Nagesh invested the money he made from his Engineering career to producing Hyderabad Blues. So, naturally, my first question to him is if he expected the film to be such a success, and he is candid. “No, in fact, I had no idea that it would be accepted. Of course, it felt great. I made the film because I wanted to do something creative.” And the creative streak was something he guesses was always in him. “At a recent school reunion, we had to talk about each other and everyone remembered that I told good stories. In fact, whenever we had a free period in school, I was always called to tell a story, so I guess I always had it in me.”
Talking movies
Post Hyderabad Blues, Nagesh went on to make a slew of films including Rockford (1999), 3 Deewarein (2003), Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), Aashayein (2010) and Lakshmi (2014) among many others.
Currently, Nagesh is riding high on the accolades his film Dhanak (Rainbow) has been receiving at international film festivals. Dhanak has already won the Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for the best feature-length film, and got a special mention by children’s jury in Generation Kplus Section at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. The film also received a warm reception at the recent Busan International Film Festival. For someone who feels that it is important to believe strongly in the script, Nagesh has certainly chartered his own trajectory. Speaking of making films in regional languages, he says, “As a filmmaker, I need to understand the language in its entirety to be able to do a good job and this is why I cannot make films in languages that I don’t know. It may work for other filmmakers, but not for me.”
Nagesh is also a filmmaker who doesn’t shy away from facing the camera himself. When asked if he enjoys acting as much as directing, Nagesh admits that acting is a different ball game all together. “Acting is a craft that needs to be honed and when I had to face the camera in Lakshmi (his 2014 film that dealt with child trafficking), I was petrified as I felt rusty.”
The actor, director, script writer and producer may wear several hats with aplomb, but says, “writing scripts is closest to my heart as that gives me the freedom to do what I want without boundaries.”
A child’s play
Right now, his focus is on Dhanak, a poignant story of siblings, aged eight and 10, who traverse across Rajasthan to fulfill a promise the elder sister made to her little brother. For someone who had sworn off working with children after Rockford, I ask him why he changed his mind. “In the industry I have learnt never to say never. I did not want to work with children because they are impressionable and I am not sure what they will imbibe from me. While they may learn something positive, I was skeptical that they may pick up something wrong unintentionally, and that is a huge responsibility. I want to focus on my work and with children there is too much additional responsibility. But when I heard the story of Dhanak, I knew I had to make it and it was a great experience.”
Nagesh currently has his hands full but says he cannot talk about the projects till formal announcements are made. Kudos to a director who has certainly redefined cinema, and here’s more to his breed.