Nagesh Kukunoor Bollywood Actor Director

A chemical engineer from India, who worked as an environmental consultant in the U.S., became
this sought right after maverick Bollywood film-maker with highly acclaimed cult films like
HYDERABAD BLUES (1998), ROCKFORD (1999), BOLLYWOOD CALLING (2001), TEEN
DEEWAREIN (2003), IQBAL (2005), DOR (2006). And, he has also acted in his films.
Name: Nagesh Kukunoor
Born: 30th March, 1967
Occupation: Actor, Director
Years Active: 1998- Present
Early Life
Born in 1967 to Kusuma Sudershan and KS Naidu in Hyderabad, Nagesh was addicted to films
appropriate from his childhood. He was sent to Tamil Nadu for schooling at Montfort Anglo-Indian
School, exactly where he watched much more and more Hollywood films. He received a Bachelor's
degree in Chemical Engineering at Osmania University in Hyderabad. He, for his Masters in
Chemical Engineering, moved to Atlanta, U.S. in 1988 and enrolled in Georgia Institute of
Technologies.
Nagesh, immediately after finishing his studies, decided to settle in the U.S. for a while. He worked
as an environmental consultant at Trinity Consultants in Dallas, Texas, and later in Atlanta, Georgia.
Meanwhile, he rekindled his passion for films by attending film and television workshops, and
studying acting at the Warehouse Actor's Theater in Atlanta. In the year 1995, Nagesh co-made and
directed the brief film, 'ONE CULTURE AT A TIME'.
Nagesh came back to India with the hope to pursue a profession in film-making. But, he did not have
enough cash to make a film. So he decided to return to the U.S. and perform there till sufficient
wealth had been accumulated.
In the year 1998, Nagesh returned to India to ultimately become a film-maker.
Profession
1998 - 2001
In the year 1998, Nagesh, with his own wealth that he had gained in the U.S., invested in making his
very first feature film HYDERABAD BLUES. A story, he had written when he was in Atlanta, about a
NRI returning home and locating himself a foreigner in his personal land. The film was made on a
teeny budget of Rs. 1.7 million and was completed in just 17 days. It was a trilingual film, primarily
in English and Telugu and some dialogues in Hindi. Of course, he directed it, but Nagesh was also
the protagonist (the NRI) in the film.
HYDERABAD BLUES became the most prosperous low-spending budget independent film in India. It
featured in about ten international film festivals and its theatrical performances ran for more than

six months in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore.

In the year 1999, Nagesh came up with however yet another very effectively appreciated lowspending budget film ROCKFORD starring Nandita Das and Nagesh himself. It chronicled the arrival
of a Hindu student to a strict all-boys Christian boarding school in India and his adjustment with the
school.
BOLLYWOOD CALLING (2001) was his third directorial which was about a satirical look at
Bollywood by means of the eyes of an unsuccessful Hollywood actor. It starred Om Puri, Navin
Nischol and Perizaad Zorabian. Nagesh also wrote and starred in the film. The film was received
with constructive reviews.
2003 - 2006
In 2003, Nagesh, inspired by the Hollywood film THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994), came up
with his personal adaptation in TEEN DEEWAREIN. It starred Nagesh as a prisoner alongside
Naseeruddin Shah, Juhi Chawla and Jackie Shroff. Written and directed by Nagesh, the film was
typically praised by critics. He received the Filmfare Award for Very best Story for the film.
In the year 2004, Nagesh produced the sequel to his very appreciated film Hyderabad Blues,
Hyderabad Blues 2. The film, although, failed. It couldn't repeat the magic of the original.
But, quickly Nagesh struck massive with the very applauded IQBAL, produced by Subhash Ghai's
Mukta Searchlight Films, in the year 2005. Unlike his earlier motion pictures, Nagesh did not star in
the film. It starred Shreyas Talpade and Naseeruddin Shah. It was about a deaf-mute cricketer
hailing from a poor family members of Indian Muslims, who wanted to make it to the Indian cricket
team. The film won immense essential acclaim and was nominated for various awards at several
prestigious awards ceremonies.
Following the very acclaimed IQBAL, Nagesh continued his excellent work with the film DOR in the
year 2006. It was a remake of the award-winning Malayalam film Perumazhakkalam (2004) it starred
Shreyas Talpade, Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag. The film was about two women who came from
diverse backgrounds and how fate brought them with each other. The film, though, did not garner
significantly at the Box-Workplace, but received sturdy good evaluations from critics.
2006 - 2010
Nagesh, following a string of profitable films, came up with three incredibly poorly received films in
the later half of the decade. In 2006, Nagesh directed BOMBAY TO BANGKOK which was developed
by Subhash Ghai's Mukta Searchlight Films and starred Sheryas Talpade and Thai actress Lina
Christianson. The film failed it received damaging critiques and did not do a lot at the ticket window
also.

8X10 TASVEER (2009), starring Akshay Kumar and Ayesha Takia, was a psychological thriller whose
release was delayed for about two years. The film entailed heavy losses and received adverse
evaluations.
His most current film, AASHAYEIN (2010), starring John Abraham and Sonal Sehgal, was another
extended delayed film by Nagesh. A terrible opening coupled with terrible critiques, the film failed
miserably at the Box-Office.