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InterviewHyderabad Blues will be screened in Mumbai on July 17 in celebration of its 20 years, as part of Drishyam Films' The Masters.Ianspti "Seems like a lifetime, seems like only yesterday". Nagesh Kukunoor gets reminded of the opening lines of his Hyderabad Blues as he reminisces the 20 years that have gone by since the release of the film, which inadvertently jump-started the "independent movie movement" in India. Now, a prequel is on his mind. "It seems like yesterday, but I still can't believe I have survived after 20 years," Kukunoor told Ians over phone from Mumbai. A romantic comedy about an Nri Varun, who finds himself caught between two cultures when he returns home to Hyderabad, India after a span of 12 years, Hyderabad Blues worked with its unique vibe and relatable content. Kukunoor even came up with a sequel in 2004. "Hyderabad Blues 2 was technically the first sequel in the American context in India, wherein we had 2 in the title," Kukunoor recounted, adding that he made it as he had a relevant and "good enough topic to tackle". Does he plan to take the 'franchise' further? "I've thought about it many times, but the journey over my last few films has been extremely varied... Primarily, from a Lakshmi to a Dhanak, the shift is so radically drastic that I am not so sure if I have a proper story in me. "And I don't want to do a part of the trilogy just to do it. When I wrote Hyderabad Blues 2, initially I said I wouldn't do anything but seven years later, it was a different Varun who was staying in India, so I felt there was something to say. Now I'm not sure what the angle should be." He started writing a Hyderabad Blues 0 to see Varun's back story. "But I haven't completed the script and I don't know... Sometimes, I go through these moods where I am like 'Yeah man, it will be a great story to tell', because the 1980s are now clearly the past. Two generations have gone by. So, it feels like some fun story is there to tell. "But I am also potentially looking at it in a web series format. Let's see, I don't know if there's enough mileage, though." Hyderabad Blues will be screened in Mumbai on July 17 in celebration of its 20 years, as part of Drishyam Films' The Masters. Kukunoor has cemented his space in the film industry with projects like Rockford, Dor, Iqbal, Aashayein, Lakshmi and Dhanak. "The highs and lows have been as good or as bad as anyone else. It always happens in the business. But the challenge to try and retain that indie spirit, has been taxing, and that is the honest truth. "Everytime you go out into the market and you say there's no star cast, it is a huge challenge. But the origin of that is clearly from American indie cinema. That's what I was influenced by." Kukunoor studied engineering in the Us and worked for sometime before filmmaking caught his eye. "I never had a clear plan of making my own film. I came here, and there's one long story about how I went to the set of TV serial Veer Hanuman and when I saw what happened on the set, I knew I would not be able to fit into the industry. "So then, out of that hugely depressing moment and in that unhappy space, I thought maybe I should make my own film. That's how I set out to write Hyderabad Blues." He didn't have enough money to make one. So, he went back to the Us, worked for another year, saved up and returned to India again. The script was written in seven days, the shoot took about 17 days, and Kukunoor invested Rs 17 lakh, including marketing and publicity cost, into Hyderabad Blues. "Once the film was made, I never thought it will work in India, ever. So I packed up and left for the Us." But fate had another plan. The first Mami Film Festival in 1997 had a section called 'View From Abroad', and Kukunoor was one of the four filmmakers invited to be a part of it. That opened the doors for the movie, and got him a distributor. Even Doordarshan 3 decided to play the movie in three parts -- something which fetched him around Rs 75,000 back then. Kukunoor is sure Hyderabad Blues would never have been made had he been living in India. "I was never expecting it to work in India because when I had left India almost 10 years prior to Hyderabad Blues, Indian cinema was just stepping into its worst avatar. The 1990s. That was the memory I left with. So, that horrid cinema would not have remotely cared for a film in three languages, with no known star cast, 82 minutes long and every negative in the book. So I made the film thinking it will only work for the American audience." But it was this approach that eventually worked. Drishyam Films founder Manish Mundra said: "Nagesh started a new revolution with this self-funded film, the fruits of which we are enjoying even today. It will be great for the audience and for us to revisit this incredible journey with him." (Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in)...

The director, who introduced a fresh wave of cinema with Hyderabad Blues in 1998 speaks about the inspiration...

Nagesh Kukunoor’s next Dhanak (Rainbow) has been selected for the 65th Berlin International Film Festival which starts on February 5. The film will compete in the Generation KPlus category, a segment judged by an 11-member jury of kids aged between 11 and 14 years.

The Filmmaker, who is known for his films like Iqbal, Dor and Hyderabad Blues, is ecstatic. When asked Nagesh Kukunoor, he says, “I had promised myself that I would never attend the Berlinale till one of my films make it to the festival. I cannot believe this has actually happened!”

Like his National award winning film Iqbal, Dhanak also potrays a central character with a disability, but in a dramatically diverse setting. The film is about an eight-year-old blind boy whose 11-year-old sister promises him that he will get his vision back before he turns 10. The film follows the duo on a life-changing journey through the sand dunes of Rajasthan.

Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor has taken on a unique promotional method for his movie Lakshmi. He will screen it in various colleges across the country to capture the interest of the youth.

“The college screening are a unique format, something I have not done in a long time since ‘Hyderabad Blues’. It’s the best way to get the word out to the target audience, the youth, who are always at the forefront of change,” Kukunoor expressed

The film has reportedly been screened at the 8 colleges esteemed colleges of India including Iim Ahmedabad, Iim Indore, Mica, Ftii Pune and Xic Mumbai.

Recently the film was screened in Sophia’s College, Mumbai which is an all-girls college. The response received in each interaction is phenomena and there have been reports of students weeping to say that, “To talk about this kind of an issue is also a taboo in the society. This...

Mumbai, Nov 16: Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor has taken on a unique promotional method for his movie "Lakshmi". He will screen it in various colleges across the country to capture the interest of the youth.

"The college screening are a unique format, something I have not done in a long time since 'Hyderabad Blues'. It's the best way to get the word out to the target audience, the youth, who are always at the forefront of change," Kukunoor told Ians.

The film has reportedly already been screened at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and Mumbai's St. Xavier's College. There will be more colleges where the movie.

New Delhi, April 28: Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor has tried his hands at romantic, high on emotions and out-of-the-box cinema, and says now he dreams of making a big-budget action movie.

The work of 46-year-old filmmaker includes "Hyderabad Blues", "Iqbal", "Bollywood Calling", "3 Deewarein" and "Dor".

"The genre that attracts me the most and the one I have not dabbled in is a big budget action film. It would be great to actually try my hand at one," Kukunoor, busy with post-production of upcoming movie "Laxmi", told Ians.

The filmmaker has also acted in his directorial ventures "3 Deewarein" and "Hyderabad Blues"..

New Delhi, Feb 22: He is ready to undertake a picturesque road journey to Coorg and Munnar and, while at it, filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor hopes to find the foundation of his new project - a road movie he has been wanting to make for a long time.

The acclaimed filmmaker and screenwriter, known for critically acclaimed movies like "Hyderabad Blues", "Rockford" and "Iqbal", will undertake the journey as part of an adventure driving series, "My Endeavour alterrain" by Ford India and National Geographic Channel.

"I want to use this journey as a foundation of a road movie that has been on my mind for a long time. I always wanted to do a road.

Mumbai, Jan 26: Acclaimed filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor understands the importance of casting popular actors in movies for box office success, but says he is not ready to compromise on his casting criteria just for that.

Most of Kukunoor's films -- "Hyderabad Blues", "Rockford", "Iqbal" and "Dor" -- have found critical acclaim, but didn't mint too much moolah. Could it be because he hasn't considered casting A-list actors?

"It (having big stars) does make a difference you want your film to be seen by the widest audience. No one controls this...If you don't have any of the 10 main actors, then you are always going to struggle.

Mumbai, Aug 26: Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor has rechristened his banner Kukunoor Movies from Sic Production because he feels it will help audiences connect better.

'Sic Production is the company owned by Elahe (Hiptoola) and me and we made eight films under that banner, as identification of Sic Production was a mandate. Even after repeatedly putting Sic Production in the poster, people couldn't identify that they were my films,' Kukunoor told Ians in an interview.

'I made the first film 'Hyderabad Blues' under the Kukunoor Movies.

You may remember her as Maya Awasthi, from her acclaimed film Taare Zameen Par, along side the perfectionist Aamir Khan, she is Tisca Chopra. Known for her performance in intensive and off beat films like Hyderabad Blues, and Firaaq, Tisca is all set to feature in the comedy Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. Tisca will be here on Bollywood Hungama's celebrity video chat, talking about her film and a lot more, so mark the date on your calendar and keep yourself free as Tisca will be online on Monday, Jan 31, at 1500 hrs Ist.

You may remember her as Maya Awasthi, from her acclaimed film Taare Zameen Par, along side the perfectionist Aamir Khan, she is Tisca Chopra. Known for her performance in intensive and off beat films like Hyderabad Blues, and Firaaq, Tisca is all set to feature in the comedy Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. Tisca will be here on Bollywood Hungama's celebrity video chat, talking about her film and a lot more, so mark the date on your calendar and keep yourself free as Tisca will be online on Monday, Jan 31, at 1500 hrs Ist.

Nagesh Kukunoor is a man, who is armed with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, which makes him, by far the most unlikely candidate to enter films. For the uninitiated lot, he is the same Nagesh, who has directed critically acclaimed films like Hyderabad Blues, Rockford, Iqbal and Dor and the recently released film Aashayein starring John Abraham alongwith Sonal Sehgal. This director, who has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood, will be live on Bollywood Hungama's Celebrity Chat today, August 31, at 1700 hrs Ist.

Nagesh Kukunoor is a man, who is armed with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, which makes him, by far the most unlikely candidate to enter films. For the uninitiated lot, he is the same Nagesh, who has directed critically acclaimed films like Hyderabad Blues, Rockford, Iqbal and Dor and the recently released film Aashayein starring John Abraham alongwith Sonal Sehgal. This director, who has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood, will be live on Bollywood Hungama's Celebrity Chat today, August 31, at 1700 hrs Ist.

The Hindi box office will soon be laden with sequels like 'Race 2', 'Don 2' and the third instalments of 'Dhoom', 'Golmaal' and 'Phoonk' as Bollywood walks in Hollywood's footsteps to make filmmakers feel secure and keep a captive audience in good cheer.'It is a commercial decision. If something works and you can continue the same story, why not bring it back again with the same theme and energy?' Karan Johar told Ians.'As long as you make it exciting for people, the idea works,' said the filmmaker, who is producing the sequel of his Abhishek Bachchan-John Abraham-starrer hit 'Dostana'.Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma said: 'It is not about following Hollywood. These days in Bollywood, everyone thinks in terms of only sequels. One spends so much money and effort in creating a brand; so it makes...

New Delhi, Aug 22 – Nagesh Kukunoor is yearning to face the camera again. Absent from the big screen for the last four years, the director is now making an on-screen comeback with a cameo in his long-awaited project, ‘Aashayein’.

Last seen in a cameo in ‘Dor’ in 2006, the filmmaker has acted in most of his films like ‘Hyderabad Blues’, ‘Rockford’, ‘Bollywood Calling’, ‘3 Deewarein’ and ‘Hyderabad Blues 2′.

‘I am doing a cameo in ‘Aashayein’,.

Life’s not easy if you’re a filmmaker. At least that’s what Nagesh Kukunoor would have you believe. Having spent over a decade in Bollywood and directed films such as Hyderabad Blues and Iqbal, the director still feels raking in money to fund films isn’t easy; especially if you stray from the conventional path. “For every single film, it (funding) is a challenge. Whenever you take the road less travelled, people panic,” he says. “When corporate money came in two-three years ago, movies — big and small — were getting made left, right and centre. I was asked then if the trend ...

Do I really need to tell you how achingly, appallingly bad '8x10 Tasveer' is?

Director Nagesh Kukunoor is officially the Francis Ford Coppola of Bollywood - both the honchos started off with a stunning offbeat film (Hyderabad Blues/The Rain People) then fleshed out outright masterpieces (Teen Deewaren, Dor, Iqbal/ Godfather 1&2, The Conversation) and finally burned out with a big budget flick (Bombay to Bankok/Apocalypse Now).

Although 'Apocalypse Now' is still considered a masterpiece by many, Coppola never recovered from it's torturous shoot and has since delivered stinkers. Nagesh Kukunoor isn't quite far behind.

'8x10 Tasveer' is a below average thriller packaged as a glossy commodity. The film is so overblown and underwhelming, you'd wish you suffered from the Hero's curse of tapping into the mind of Mr. Kukunoor to figure out what he was thinking five minutes before he began writing the screenplay.

Jai...

Nagesh Kukunoor was never like this.

‘Hyderabad Blues’ was a path breaking kind of film in the 90s and then later on he went on to make much appreciated movies like ‘Iqbal’ and ‘Dor’.

But now he seems to be getting jittery over the release of his film ‘8×10 Tasveer’ today.

Maybe the fact that his last film, ‘Bombay to Bangkok’ bombed badly and the fact that ‘Tasveer’ and his other movie ‘Aashayein’ are stuck for long, has made him so.

He has actually sent an.

She is someone whose eternally glowing face makes even the sunshine suffer from an inferiority complex. She is none other than the 'sorted' Tisca Chopra, whose superlatively superlative performance in the smash hit Taare Zameen Par earned her accolades by a ton, and still continues to do so. Tisca is someone who is a known name and a face in the diverse fields of films, theatre, television and modelling. Her acting prowess can be seen in plays like 'Inshah Allah', 'Salesman Ramlal' and 'Mahatma Vs Mahatma' and films like Platform, Hyderabad Blues and the recently released Firaaq. Bollywood Hungama gives you an exclusive opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with this actress par excellence on the 2nd of April only on Bollywood Hungama Celeb Chat.

She is someone whose eternally glowing face makes even the sunshine suffer from an inferiority complex. She is none other than the 'sorted' Tisca Chopra, whose superlatively superlative performance in the smash hit Taare Zameen Par earned her accolades by a ton, and still continues to do so. Tisca is someone who is a known name and a face in the diverse fields of films, theatre, television and modelling. Her acting prowess can be seen in plays like 'Inshah Allah', 'Salesman Ramlal' and 'Mahatma Vs Mahatma' and films like Platform, Hyderabad Blues and the recently released Firaaq. Bollywood Hungama gives you an exclusive opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with this actress par excellence on the 2nd of April only on Bollywood Hungama Celeb Chat.

Beginning his film career with the role of Dark Avenger in the American thriller Mobius, actor, director, writer and producer Nagesh Kukunoor has come a long way from such humble beginnings. His 1998 directorial debut Hyderabad Blues, which was made on a small budget, not just raked in a lot of moolah, but also captured audience's interests with its Hinglish dialogues and realistic setting. In fact, dialogues in both Hindi and English became the hallmark of many of Kukunoor's films....