Adgully Exclusive | The credentialed Kukunoor

Nagesh Kukunoor has broken new ground in India's cinescape with films such as "Hyderabad Blues', "Rockford', "3 Deewarein', "Iqbal', and "Dor'. "Hyderabad Blues', his charming debut, was shot on a shoestring budget and endeared itself to audiences. "Dor' was hailed as "engaging' by The Telegraph, and The Hindu complimented its "world-class feel'. For a man who has evolved from a creative amateur to a credentialed Bollywood figure ' his new film "Aashayein' stars John Abraham ' Kukunoor is an unassuming celebrity.

While giving an exclusive interview to Adgully at an unpretentious Mumbai café, Kukunoor showed gentle exasperation at the sight of a man constantly spitting out the debris of chewed paan. Kukunoor requested the waiter to urge the man to show some civic sense, and calmly returned to the business of Q&A.

Adgully began by asking Kukunoor if he felt gratified that he was considered to be the man who had changed a part of the Bollywood game. "I have made films from my own experiences, imagination and passion," Kukunoor said. "And when I am making a film, I don't mull about whether it will pull audiences or whether it will make me someone who starts a new era. I make films the way I want to and people label me in manner that they want to."

In other words, Kukunoor the artist, lives by the art for art's sake credo, even after working in India's mass-producing film industry for a decade. His sage approach has made him an candid observer. "I would use the word "insane' to describe the marketing of films today," Kukunoor said. "Earlier, a mid-budget film cost around Rs 40-50 lakh. But today, such a film would cost nothing less than Rs1-2 crore." He said film promotions these days had to occupy all platforms. "It's literally like hitting on the head to get noticed," he said. "Regardless of the cast, if the film doesn't pull crowds in the first two days, then distributers pull off."

At the same time, Kukunoor acknowledges that stars like Akshay Kumar come with an equity that can make a movie a presold product. However, for Kukunoor, blazing stars are not the sine qua non for a successful film ” "Iqbal' is a case in point. But "Iqbal' was made in 2005, when Kukunoor was a known director. How did he have the gumption to pull off "Hyderabad Blues' in 1997, when he was just an NRI engineer? "Well, I really want to give credit to Shringar films," he said. "They supported and trusted me. Of course, I invested passion, belief and hard work, but I was also lucky that things worked for me."

As for investments, Kukunoor also put in Rs17 lakh from his own savings to make his debut film. He was conscious of the risk, but his worries were assuaged by his self-belief. Though Kukunoor loved watching films as a child, he had no ambition to become a filmmaker. But as he started a conventional career, his creative impulse drove him to acting classes; he studied acting for about three years. But Kukunoor was quick to point out that he was not a trained director. "I have no formal training in film direction," he said. "But I knew the basics of acting, and when I was in US, I did a few ads. Although I was a very keen observer of the creative actions on the sets, I believe that it is the passion that carries one forward." Almost in the same breath, he affirmed the centrality of knowledge. "You can't just go on the sets and start making a film without at least being aware of the basics," he said. "Some knowledge of filmmaking helps."

Kukunoor does believe in luck, but puts passion and hard work before it in the hierarchy of factors necessary for success. "The motto of my production company is Belief," Kukunoor said. "It's an extension of passion, but you have to believe in something that you want to do."