'Life is full of ideas'

New York-based cult filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor (of Dor, Iqbal, and Hyderabad Blues) does not believe Bollywood movies appeal to a wider world audience other than Indians.

“They are treated as a novelty (by non-Indians), a song-and-dance thing,'' he said, but agreed that they are huge money-spinners. “The legit sales are big in Europe and North America,'' he said.

The filmmaker said it was “heartening'' to know that his movie Dor (String) is being appreciated by various kinds of viewers. Its recent screening was in New York.

“Though my characters are basically Indian, the underlying theme is universal,'' he said.

Dor is the story of two women (Zeenat and Meera) whose lives intertwine when Zeenat's husband is arrested for the accidental killing of Meera's husband in Saudi Arabia. Under the local law only Meera's forgiveness can set Zeenat's husband free.

Asked where he gets his ideas, Kukunoor said the real challenge of a filmmaker lies in telling a story. “There are thousands of stories around us. Life is incredibly full of ideas,'' he said.

The filmmaker gave up his job as a chemical engineer and an environmental consultant in Atlanta, US, to make movies. The prolific director always works from his own original screenplays.

Speaking about remakes, the filmmaker said, “Fads come and go, but the real challenge is to do something which has not been done before.''

He said he tries to dabble in different genres, from comedy (Hyderabad Blues) and “uplifting'' tales (Iqbal) to an emotional dramatic story (Dor). His next venture moves in yet another direction: it is a supernatural thriller tentatively titled Tasveer.

The director, who recently made three films back-to-back, said he only makes movies he is excited about. “I don't do movies which I have done before,'' he said.

Kukunoor said this is his first experience of the Dubai International Film Festival. “The market is very good,'' he said, speaking about Dubai. “I am curious.''

He said he has not been exposed to Arab cinema. “This is a perfect opportunity,'' he said, to see Arab films.

EARLY MOVIES
Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Nagesh Kukunoor moved to Atlanta in 1988 and studied chemical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

In a dramatic switch of careers, he went on to make movies and experimented in several genres.

Rockford was a coming-of-age movie set in a boarding school and co-starred Nandita Das.

Bollywood Calling was a satirical look at the Bollywood industry through the eyes of a failed Hollywood actor and co-starred Om Puri, Navin Nischol and Perizaad Zorabian.

His next movie, Teen Deewarein, was a thriller, loosely inspired by The Shawshank Redemption. It had actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Juhi Chawla and Jackie Shroff.

Some of his Kukunoor's awards include:

• Audience Award for best film at the Peachtree International Film Festival in Atlanta for the film Hyderabad Blues.
• Audience Award for best film at the Rhode Island Film Festival for the film Hyderabad Blues.
• Teacher's Achievement Award for Creative and Performing Arts in 2002.
• Best Story award at the 2003 Filmfare awards for the film Teen Deewarein.