Nagesh Kukunoor

[captainhowdy]

Iqbal (2005)
w/d. Nagesh Kukunoor

Although the screenplay has all the warmth and familiarity of your favourite blanket, its the stellar performances by its excellent cast that make wathing this film a great feel good experience. Naseeruddin Shah and Prateeksha Lonkar are very good in their respective roles, but it takes a very healthy dose of talent to share the screen with Shah and young Shweta Prasad has tons of it! If it wasnt for the storys obvious predictability, this would have been a 5 star film.
4/5

This was the first Hindi flick I was watching on DVD after over a year. It felt so ackward at first. After watching so many foreign films in the past year, I felt the need to switch on the subtitles!

[kaytee]

Yup I have heard this is a good movie but never got around to seeing it. Shall catch it soon will comment.

Shariq - Isn't Shweta Prasad the same girl from Makdee?

[shariqq]

Yupp - she played the twin sisters Munni & Chunnu. If you've seen the movie you know how good she was even the. I sincerely thought the director had cast twins to play the two different girls.

[kaytee]

Nagesh Kukunoor announces his next movie Dor
 
Writer, director Nagesh Kuknoor has announced his next movie Dor (meaning string) and this time he has teamed up with Sahara One Motion Picture’s association. Known for making movies on a real life stories Dor will be his next movie after Iqbal. Speaking about ‘Dor’ Kukunoor said, “It’s an emotional drama. A story of two women whose lives are quite parallel but then there is one invisible thread that binds them, rather connects them to each other. It’s a real life story about women based in Kerala. I made some changes further in the story to make it more interesting.”

Speaking about the star cast he said, “Shreyas Talpade has a very important role of catalyst in this movie. He is someone with whom I always wanted to work with. His role in Iqbal was diverse to his personality. He has tremendous potential as an actor, which people can see in this movie. He is a surprise element in the movie.” Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag will play the female characters, who are equally dominant in the movie. He also informed that there will be two newcomers in the movie.

Speaking about music he said, “My favorite music directors Salim Suleman will give fusion music for this movie. There will be only two background songs in the movie.” Nagesh is planning to shoot this movie in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The shooting will start from 15th March and continue till May. He plans to release Dor in August.

Talking about his fallout news with Mukta Arts, Nagesh clarified that there is no truth to it. “I have no ill feelings for Mukta Arts. I will be doing my next film with them. There was false news about my fall out from Mukta. I am very much part of it”, he concludes.
 

[kaytee]

Oh I merged Iqbal to this thread. This article is from March and the movie is scheduled to be released on Sept 15th.

[sammy]

watch "Theen Deewarein" / "Hyderabad Blues"

Both have the same highlights / drawbacks...
good performances for what they are but very predictable.

What i like about kukunoor is he isnt scared of experimenting
"Rockford" was something different.

He needs to get out of his mould of giving movies a well rounded ending

[kaytee]

Teen Deewarein is his best works. In terms of getting performances out of the actors, directing it and penning the story.

Starring the ever dependable Naseerudin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Juhi Chawla, Gulshan Grover and Nagesh Kukunoor. The acting by each and every character is first rate. But it is Naseer and Juhi Chawla who stand out.

[shariqq]

He needs to get out of his mould of giving movies a well rounded ending

Very good observation. Yes - Kuknoor has this thing of over indulgence.
A movie like 3Deewarein is awesome until its contrived closing. A little far-fetiching for a movie that was otherwise so well rooted.

[sammy]

Teen Deewarein is his best works. In terms of getting performances out of the actors, directing it and penning the story.

Starring the ever dependable Naseerudin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Juhi Chawla, Gulshan Grover and Nagesh Kukunoor. The acting by each and every character is first rate. But it is Naseer and Juhi Chawla who stand out.

I'd be more impressed if he got the same class of acting from unknowns, and not seasoned actors.
I think his best work is yet to come. In my book, hes just brushing up.

If you get a chance, watch movies like knock knock, or just indian, or american chai those are something that gets so much done...without being rounded or without big names.

Movies i still have to watch : Corner of the world, khamosh pani, etc.

[kaytee]

I'd be more impressed if he got the same class of acting from unknowns, and not seasoned actors.
I think his best work is yet to come. In my book, hes just brushing up.

If you get a chance, watch movies like knock knock, or just indian, or american chai those are something that gets so much done...without being rounded or without big names.

Movies i still have to watch : Corner of the world, khamosh pani, etc.

Never heard of Knock Knock or Just Indian. I have managed to watch American Chai and was surprised with the acting. But the story lacked big time.

R u talking about this when u talk about Knock Knock.

[sammy]

yup.
I have a copy somewhere if you willing to give it a try.

American chai was out to proove a point...they didnt care about the story...they just wanted to get ppl out of sterotyping desis as engineers or docs....give us another dimension...show that we are multifaceted..etc...

[kaytee]

Nagesh Kukunoor's next movie Dor is already up for release. I managed to watch a song preview last night on TV. Actors without makeup and a very rustic feel to it. Here is a little preview courtesy indiafm:

Character Sketch

Gul Panag as Zeenat
Zeenat is an independent, self-assured young woman from Himachal Pradesh. She is a young, headstrong Himachali woman who has lived life on her terms. Her strength of character is evident from how she lives alone, chooses to marry for love, and is ready to go to any lengths to save her husband's life. Against all odds!

Ayesha Takia as Meera
Meera is a simple and conventional girl who lives by the strict traditions of her Rajput roots. She is a sweet, innocent woman who is content with what life has given her… a loving husband and a joint family. She never questions her existence in the patriarchal setting of Rajasthan, even after life as she has known changes drastically on her husband's death.

Shreyas Talpade as Behroopiya
True to the unique nature of his caste in Rajasthan, Behroopiya is as colorful a character as his disguises. He uses his skills to harmlessly con people to eke out a living, but has a heart of gold. He acts as a loyal friend, conscience and above all an invaluable guide to help Zeenat find her destination.

Storyline

Dor is a story about love, loss, friendship, hope and ultimately, redemption. It is a tale of two women from two different worlds.

In ways that neither Zeenat nor Meera can perceive, their worlds are about to collide. A life-changing piece of news reaches both women at the same instance, and sets into motion a series of events that will change their lives forever.

Zeenat is compelled to make the long journey from the hills of Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan's deserts, in search of Meera.

Along the way she encounters a Behroopiya, whose uncanny instincts and good humor help to make the difficult journey easier.

As different as they are, Zeenat and Meera form an uncommon bond of friendship and respect when they meet. But can it endure the uneasy truth that Zeenat hides?

One of these women will hold the power of life and death in her hands. One will be helpless at the hands of fate. One of these women has everything to fight for. One of them has nothing to lose.

In a powerful but unexpected climax, a question lingers:
Just how far would you go to save the one you love?
Would you beg?
Would you fight?
Would you challenge even destiny?

[sandeep]

I must admit I havent watched IQBAL, but I have a copy, and am waiting for the perfect friday afternoon... Its got fabulous reviews, and a very good message as well...

[kaytee]

Nagesh Kukunoor’s next project after Dor

 

Percept Picture Company will commission two films with Nagesh Kukunoor as the director in the year 2007.

Percept and Nagesh announced their next film together after Dor titled Aashayein. John Abraham has been finalized for the lead role.

Nagesh Kukunoor says, “Working with Percept on Dor gave me the comfort of associating with someone who has the guts to support cinema that bends the rules. I would like to take this relationship further. Aashayein is the first step and Bemisal will be the next. This is what we hope to do- content cinema that makes box-office sense.”

Aashayein is a story of a compulsive gambler who discovers new meanings of fortune and life through some dramatic turn of events.

Apart from John, the rest of the cast is yet to be finalized. The second film with the working title Bemisal is scheduled to go on floor in July 2007. The cast of the film is to be finalized as well. Both these movies will be in association with SIC productions.

Mr. Shailendra Singh, Jt. MD Percept Holdings, “Our relationship with Nagesh started with Dor and now it’s being consolidated with a 2 film commitment for 2007. What excites me the most about Nagesh and Percept joining hands is the fact that we are now finalizing plans between us not only to make films but also look at content development, script shops and the future of creating global cinema together. Nagesh is intelligent, creative and committed and these are also Percept’s fundamental qualities, therefore this marriage. We are proud of our association.”