Travelling from New York to Mumbai while depicting unusual stories of love in this era, Amazon Prime Video’s Modern Love has acquired a loyal following among viewers. Evidently then, fans have their eyes set on the upcoming Telugu version, Modern Love Hyderabad, which releases on July 8.

While it may be assumed that the makers would have zeroed in on a filmmaker adept at weaving the best romantic tales, three of the six stories have been helmed by Nagesh Kukunoor who confessedly “hates love stories”.

“God, I hate love stories. Just look at my filmography,” says Kukunoor as a case in point. The filmmaker has helmed My Unlikely Pandemic Partner, Fuzzy, Purple and Full of Thorns, and Why Did She Leave Me There? in the upcoming series.

“I haven’t really actively delved into [the genre], which is overdone. About 90 per cent of films made in any language are centred around love. It has never interested me. When it was offered to me, I turned it down. I hadn’t seen the original series, so they asked me to watch it before I declined the offer. Ironically, I was on board after watching the first episode alone. I understood what the series was about. It wasn’t the traditional man-women thing. It was absolutely worth delving into.”

Modern Love: Hyderabad features actors like Nithya Menen, Ritu Varma, Suhasini Maniratnam, Revathy, and Naresh, among others. Discussing the challenges of weaving tales around real-life stories, producer Elahe Hiptoola says, “The stories are clearly set against the western backdrop, but universal themes like love translate well.”

Having helmed City Of Dreams, Nagesh Kukunoor on how Indian shows need to take giant strides to match global content
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; May 7, 2019)

There's no mincing words when it comes to Nagesh Kukunoor. During our 25-minute chat, he displays his forthrightness as he argues that a film director is not necessarily the best choice to helm a web series. Or that Mumbai can hardly be a filmmaker's muse. Close on the heels of his show City Of Dreams dropping online, we catch up with Kukunoor to talk about films, web series and everything in between. Edited Excerpts From The Interview:

After a false start with The Test Case, you are ready for your web debut.
I have been wanting to tackle this format for about 15 years. I have been a huge fan of the original HBO shows before Netflix and Amazon took over. When OTT exploded in India, I attempted directing with The Test Case; that was not a satisfactory process. Thankfully, I re-connected with Sameer Nair [co-producer] for this show. It took me from August to October 2017 to finish [writing] it. Post that, I alternated between scripting with Rohit Banawlikar, directing alternate episodes, editing and producing. I wanted to explore every aspect of this format instead of sitting with a random credit of showrunner, which is the new catchphrase now.

What was your vision for City Of Dreams?
In my career so far, I have not written a single story based in Mumbai, or shot here. Visually, it is an unappealing city. The only kind of story that Mumbai lends itself well to is the gritty stuff, which is what everyone, including myself, has been doing. Rohit came up with the idea of writing something that is set in this city. It's a political drama that deals with different strata of society.

Is there a reason behind casting Marathi actors for a Hindi show?
The show is about a Marathi political family in Mumbai. The initial idea was to rope in Hindi actors. But as the discussions progressed, I felt that [Marathi actors] would lend authenticity [by way of] their pronunciation or occasional use of a Marathi phrase. For instance, there is a Muslim cop called Wasim Khan, played by Eijaz Khan. So when he does Salaam waalekum, it is perfect. Hats off to Applause [Entertainment, producer] for supporting me on this decision! Now, I want to trade all my
actors for Marathi artistes - they are disciplined and come to the set prepared.

Compared to international series, where do you think Indian shows lack?
We aren't doing well [in comparison to the West] and it stems from the writing. I don't think the calibre of directors in this country is any less than anywhere else. But we are hampered by the fact that the writing on offer is mediocre to terrible. [So, as a director] there is only so much you can do on set. Sacred Games stands out in that regard.

Do you think writers in India get their due?
They are truly the ignored lot; they have been treated like second-and-third-rate citizens in television. Thankfully, Netflix and Amazon are shelling out enough money for scriptwriters. But there has never been a pool of good writers in India. After Salim-Javed, how many writers does the general public know of? We need to get more writers and need to pay them more. I see that thought gaining ground slowly.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 23, 2018)

Shreyas Talpade went to audition for Iqbal believing that he was in the running for a bit part. So, he was surprised when the assistant, while congratulating the actor for bagging it, asked if he could keep two months free for the film. On asking why they needed him for so long, he learnt that he would be playing the titular role in Subhash Ghai’s 2005 coming-of-age sports drama that revolves around a deaf-mute boy who dreams of playing cricket for India.

“I discovered later that they had shortlisted me and another actor and decided to take a vote. When both of us got equal votes from the team, Nagesh (Kukunoor, the film’s writer-director) cast his in my favour,” reminisces the actor who was finalised on December 25 and had to begin training in Hyderabad in the next couple of days. “I asked if I could get December 31 off and Nagesh reprimanded me for wanting to party till I revealed that I was getting married that day. Instantly, he told me to cancel my plans, till his partner, Elahe Hiptoola, convinced him to let me tie the knot on the condition that I start the first day of the year with Iqbal. On January 1, I took the first flight out to Hyderabad, reached the office and was told by his manager to take my shoes off because Iqbal walks and runs barefoot. I didn’t wear them again till the day I returned home.”

His first day was so exhausting, more so since he’d just slept for an hour after returning home before leaving for the airport at 4 am, that Shreyas came back to the hotel burning with fever. His bride Deepti spent the night tending to him, worrying if he’d be fit for work the next day. He was.

The days began early, just after 4 am. By 5.30 am, he would be working out and practicing bowling, after which he would go to the tabelas to befriend buffaloes. “I’d take them for a walk, bathe and feed them, before bringing them back. This way I managed to pick out a pack that I felt would be my buddies in reel life. On the first day of the shoot, one of them stamped my foot hard,” Shreyas admits with a laugh, adding that after the tabela, there would be more cricket and reading sessions through the day. “Iqbal was a lot of learning and unlearning. It not only made me but also changed me as an actor.”

His most difficult shoot was a sunrise shot for which they reached the location by 4 am, and as they waited for the sun to go up, Nagesh made Shreyas run to the haystack many times. He had to clamber up, throw his arms out for the camera, the sun lighting his face. “I had run a few times when suddenly someone shouted that the sun had come out. Nagesh instructed me to run back, dash to the haystack and climb up. I did, only to slip, again and again, because the hay was wet from the dew. Each time, I had to go back and run the distance. By now, I was dead on my feet, but I knew that if Nagesh didn’t get his shot, we’d have to return and repeat the process. So, I gathered all my strength, and gritting my teeth, climbed up like a monkey and the exultation I was to feel was for real. That day, I learnt the meaning of the phrase, ‘go the extra mile’,” he smiles.

However, Shreyas’s biggest challenge was the last shot of the film which required him to come running, hit his bowling mark and jump in the air, the camera freezing on him mid-air. Through the shoot, he’d lived with the fear that he might injure himself and hold up the shoot, and was congratulating himself on having pulled it off, when, hurrying into the finale shot, he overshot his mark, took the leap and landed on his ankle. DoP Sudeep Chatterjee winced as he heard a sharp crack and saw Shreyas reach for his ankle, crying out in pain. “It wasn’t a fracture, but I twisted my ankle badly and could barely walk. But when Sudeep admitted to Nagesh that they couldn’t use that shot, with an ice pack and a pian relief spray, I pulled myself back on my feet and did the shot again, this time making sure I got it right, then, had to keep my ankle bandaged for weeks,” he says.

The film released on August 26, 2005, and in these 13 years, despite widely acclaimed performances in films like Welcome To Sajjanpur, Om Shanti Om and Housefull 2, Shreyas is still remembered as Iqbal who inspired many real-life success stories. “We have often spoken of a sequel but Nagesh believes for a story like this that one jump is enough. If Part 2 doesn’t work, it could dilute the magic. He could be right,” Shreyas signs off.

Shreyas and Deepti Talpade welcomed daughter through surrogacy
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2018)

After 14 years of marriage, Shreyas and Deepti Talpade became the proud parents of a baby girl on Friday, May 4. The couple who opted for surrogacy to extend their family, were on a holiday in Hong Kong when their daughter arrived earlier than expected.

Shreyas informed Mirror that the date given to them was between May 10 and 12 so Deepti and he flew off to Hong Kong from where they were scheduled to go on a cruise. “On the way, we learnt that the surrogate mother had gone into labour prematurely so we changed our plans and headed back to India the same night,” the actor-filmmaker reminisces.

He adds that they were still in mid-air when their daughter entered the world and they received the good news the minute they landed and headed straight to the hospital from the airport. “Seems our little girl has a stubborn streak and didn’t want us to go to Hong Kong without her,” Shreyas laughs, admitting that she already has her parents wrapped around her little finger.

Prod him on what they have decided to call her and the doting daddy admits that though they have shortlisted a few names they have yet to zero in on one. “Friends have been confusing us with multiple suggestions,” he grumbles good-naturedly.

Speaking about why they chose surrogacy, Shreyas reveals guardedly that there were certain issues and it was their doctor who told them that this was the best option. “And it’s one of the best decisions of my life,” he beams.

Gushing over the newborn, he says they now have an angel to look after and while family and friends have been giving tons of advice, the doctor wants them to take each day at a time. “During Iqbal, I remember Nagesh (director Nagesh Kukunoor) telling me, ‘This is your first success so cherish every moment.’ That’s exactly what I’m doing with the baby, living every moment with her. All these years, I would ask myself if I’m ready for a child and end up feeling apprehensive and nervous. Now, I’m loving it!” Shreyas exults.

According to the new father, friends and family have been telling him that his baby’s forehead is just like his, while the lower half of her face resembles Deepti’s. “I think she looks more like Deepti with her round face but her features are changing every day,” he smiles.

He’s on a short break from work and daddy duty is top priority with everything else taking a backseat. “I was to start shooting from May 15 but luckily for me the shoot has been pushed to June so I’ve got a month to focus on my baby. I’ve always wanted a daughter so I could buy her dolls, teddy bears and plenty of pretty dresses. I’m already planning what I can buy her when I go shooting. My wife thinks I’m more stressed out than her, but I’m just happy and want to give our daughter the best,” he asserts.

National Award-winning filmmaker and Sameer Nair join hands for a 10-episode web series set and shot in Mumbai
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 8, 2018)

According to Nagesh Kukunoor, the line, ‘You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave’, from the iconic Eagles song “Hotel California”, perfectly captures the relationship between the Maximum City and people who inhabit it. Now, it has doubled up as the essence of the filmmaker’s upcoming 10-episode web series, City Of Dreams, a political-drama around an influential family and a feud that erupts following an assassination attempt on a polarising political figure.

Kukunoor points out that barring four-five days during Bombay to Bangkok and two days for the John Abraham-starrer Aashayein, he has never shot a movie entirely in Mumbai in a career spanning over 20 years.

About the show, he says, “It is a case of a stone’s drop creating ripples in a pond. In this case, the effect resonates across three stratas of Mumbai’s societal structure — the really poor, the middle-class and the supremely rich.” He also adds that the premise is gritty and original and each episode will be around 42-45 minutes. “The audience is bound to draw parallels with real political figures and as the series progresses, there will be a lot of inferences, but let me assure you that when you see all 10 episodes, you’ll know it’s completely unique and fictitious,” Nagesh asserts.

Produced by Sameer Nair’s Applause Entertainment, City of Dreams is the first of a dozen other web-series that the production house is presently developing. “Nagesh had a wonderful idea that we began discussing in August last year. And it’s one of his most exhaustive and intensive pieces of work. Ending the show at season one would feel like a complete let-down as there are so many other places we can take these characters to next. We are looking at a multiseason approach to the show and are hoping for a minimum of three-four seasons,” Nair says.

The producer believes that Indian TV hasn’t managed to fully grasp the expanse of content like the West has with crime-dramas like The Sopranos or medical-dramas like Dexter. “I’m excited that we can now have a drama series created entirely in Mumbai. The digital market is still in nascent stage and we’re excited to be producing better content,” Nair signs off.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 4, 2018)

For Lucknow girl Anupriya Goenka, March 2017 was a month of dilemma. She was expected to shoot intense sequences with Shahid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming romance-drama Padmavati through April and May, and having cracked the third and final round of auditions for the Salman Khan action-adventure Tiger Zinda Hai was told by director Ali Abbas Zafar’s team to get her dates in order. “Sanjay sir could have easily stopped me from signing another film but instead he supported me whole-heartedly. Since it was not possible to change Shahid and Deepika’s dates, I wrapped up Tiger Zinda Hai between July and September and got back to shooting Padmavati immediately. It all worked out fine as Sanjay sir waited for me,” says the relieved actress, 30, who has already made an impression as Poorna, the chief nurse among 25 Indian and 15 Pakistani nurses held hostage by Syrian terrorist Abu Usman in the espionage action-thriller.

For someone who isn’t easily star-struck, Anupriya had her fan-girl moment when she filmed her first shot with Salman, checking the undercover RAW agent for burn wounds. “I was really nervous even though I’d been prepping up for days. He cracked a few jokes to put me at ease but when I was holding his hand, I had to keep reminding myself that this was Salman Khan I was touching,” she admits, adding that the actor brings a lot of energy to the sets. “I was a nurse in a tight spot and he was the magnanimous Tiger, rescuing me on and offscreen.”

In her second film she plays Nagmati, Raja Rawal Ratan Singh’s first wife, who grows jealous and contemptuous of his second wife Padmavati, the beautiful princess of the Sinhala kingdom. As part of her homework she read Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s 1540-poem ballad Padmavat, at the end of which both Nagmati and Padmavati commit jauhar. Tell Anupriya that the part sounds similar to Kashibai, essayed by Priyanka Chopra in Bhansali’s last release, Bajirao Mastani, and she is quick to dismiss the observation, “There is no similarity between the two characters. This film is based on the poem Padmavat and after I read it, Sanjay sir and I discussed it at length. I’ve seen Bajirao Mastani many times but it was never for a character reference.”

Padmavati is still a month away from the theatres and she’s been asked to zip up about all matters related to the controversies leading up to the release. “It was a lesson, watching Deepika (Padukone), Shahid (Kapoor) and Sanjay sir on the set,” she says shortly, recalling how her mother who had never really been excited about her daughter’s acting career over the last four years, rang her up recently to admit how proud she was of her turn in the Salman production. “She was crying and that was the biggest praise I’ve ever received,” Anupriya beams, hoping she can come up with an encore next month.

She also features in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Maya in which she essays the titular character. “It is bold in content and intense in its theme,” she says of the film which wrapped up last year and is expected to release soon.

As told to Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 30, 2017)

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 2, 2017)

Ekta Kapoor’s ambitious web series, The Test Case, which is based on the Indian Army, failed to enjoy a successful run, with the makers reportedly pulling the plug on the show after one episode. midday had earlier reported that creative differences between director Nagesh Kukunoor and Kapoor had been cited as reason to bring the show to a halt. Now, we hear, the team of The Test Case has decided to resurrect their pet project.

A source says that Kukunoor has been shown the door, with Dangal (2016) assistant director Vinay Waikul being appointed to helm the Nimrat Kaur-starrer. A unit hand adds, “While the city was battling with the deluge on Tuesday, the actors shot for the show. Nimrat, who sustained a leg injury on the set, also continued shooting. A major chunk of the narrative is being re-written and Ekta is being much more involved this time around.”

In an official statement, producer Deepak Dhar, MD & CEO Endemol Shine India, said, “We’re happy that the production of The Test Case is on in full swing. It’s a show that is close to us.”

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 7, 2017)

Her shows have ruled our TV screens for over two decades, and her recent foray into the digital space set fans’ expectations skyhigh. With her ALT Balaji app, Ekta Kapoor launched five web series; the sixth show, The Test Case starring Nimrat Kaur, was billed as one of her most ambitious projects. However, after a delayed first episode, the show seems to have hit a wall. Creative differences between Ekta and director Nagesh Kukunoor is to blame, informs an insider.

“The show was supposed to be launched on April 24, but the first episode came out a week late. Now, there is no sign of the next one. They had shot for four episodes almost two months ago, but those have been put on hold. Test Case is one of Ekta’s most experimental works on the app and she was deeply involved with it. Nagesh, however, needed his own space,” explains the source.

The show sees Nimrat plays the role of the Indian Army’s first woman combatant. It also stars Juhi Chawla as the minister of defence, Atul Kulkarni and Rahul Dev as commanders and Kaur’s superiors in the training academy.

A cast member attributes the delay to production issues. “Our show has been shot and the next episodes are ready to be out. There could be some production and logistical issues, but no creative differences as such,” says an actor on condition of anonymity.

The show’s publicist refused to comment. We reached out to Ekta and Nagesh via text message, but neither had responded till the time of going to press.

BOMBAY TIMES (April 5, 2017)

When terrorists are at your door, will you trust a woman to shoot them down? Nimrat Kaur's character in the Nagesh Kukunoor-directorial, The Test Case, attempts to answer this question. Here's the actress' first look from the digital show. Download and check out the trailer on April 7, on the the ALTBalaji app and follow their YouTube, Facebook and Instagram handles.