Urban Eccentric
Structured eccentricity is a mantra that Nagesh Kukunoor has lived by ever since he walked out on a career in chemical engineering in Atlanta a few years ago to become a film maker. His company is called sic Productions, sic for Stability is a Curse. He wrapped up the critically acclaimed Hyderabad Blues in just 17 days, made with his own money and a cast of unknowns-including himself. He canned Rockford, a bitter-sweet slice of boarding school India, in 32.

Kukunoor-a B.Tech. from Osmania University-arrived on the scene with his first feature Hyderabad Blues in 1997. An unabashedly unpolished but charming film about an NRI back in India after more than a decade, Hyderabad Blues ran for an impressive 31 weeks in Mumbai and 28 weeks in Hyderabad and Bangalore. Rockford is already a critical rave and a step up. Sony bought the soundtrack rights, and poet-director Gulzar has written the title track. For the third, Bollywood Calling, the vet-set is in. Om Puri has said yes, while Naseeruddin Shah is a possibility. "Nagesh is very charged," says Gulzar, "He's very clear about what he wants and wants to explore socially relevant themes." Kukunoor can-and desperately wants to-tell a truly urban Indian middle-class story. He's also very greedy. "I want to make weird psycho-thrillers, big-budget action extravaganzas, horror films." Sic.