Meet Nagesh Kukunoor in New York and see ‘Dhanak’
Rarely do you get a chance to catch a movie with the one who created it, and learn from him the back stories behind what you see on the screen. Nagesh Kukunoor who gave us such memorable movies as ‘Rockford’, ‘Iqbal’, ‘Dor’ and ‘Lakshmi’, is in New York for the release of his latest film. It is the much loved ‘Dhanak’ which means rainbow – and what a burst of color, emotion and joy it is as it follows the 8-year-old Chotu, who is blind, and his ten-year-old sister Pari across Rajasthan. The simple story of the power of persistence and hope will really make your day as the two set off to restore Chotu’s eye-sight, inspired by a poster of the iconic Shahrukh Khan promoting eye restorative surgery.
‘Dhanak’ directed by Nagesh Kukunoor not only premiered in the Generation Kplus at Berlinale 2015, but also won the Grand Jury prize, as well as, a Special Mention from the Children’s Jury. Fans in the US will be able to see it in several cities across the US in June, and meet the filmmaker too. On Father’s Day Kukunoor was on the West Coast and is also visiting the East Coast to meet audiences and do Q and A’s after the screenings.
With ‘Dhanak’, the filmmaker completes his human-trilogy after his award-winning films ‘Dor’ and ‘Iqbal’, that captivated the hearts of the audiences. With the emotional bond between a brother and sister at its core, ‘Dhanak’ is an enchanting fable that reinforces the belief that life is beautiful.
One of the screenings in New York is being presented by Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) and Children’s Hope India which had also earlier co-presented the film with the Museum of the Moving Image as its message is so strong on detecting and treating eye problems with the young. CHI screens over 5000 children every year for eyesight defects through Sight for the Sightless project, provides corrective glasses, visual aids and medication and conducts restorative surgery through the K.K. Eye Institute in Pune.
Nagesh Kukunoor, who was a chemical engineer in the US, has transformed into one of the strongest filmmakers in recent years. He gave up his lucrative career as an environmental consultant in Atlanta and using his personal savings wrote, produced, acted in and directed his immensely successful debut film. ‘Hyderabad Blues’ (1998) went on to become the largest grossing low-budget Indian film in English. About ‘Dhanak’, he says: “I wanted to write a film about the India I grew up in. A world with goodness where people knew the meaning of trust. A world where magic still exists. A world through a child’s eyes. Out of this desire emerged the magical journey of Dhanak.”
You can catch the movie and meet the filmmaker in NYC at AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd St, NYC.
Special Screening with Nagesh Kukunoor, Tuesday June 21st, 2016 @ 8 pm.
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