HYDERABAD: After the success of the first season of Prime Talkies last year, NDTV Prime teams up with Pocket Films, one of the top distributors of alternate content, for a second round, roping in internationally acclaimed filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor. Calling Talkies a great platform to showcase films across the board, Kukunoor says he has selected each film himself, so you can rest assured it will cover a range of emotions and entertainment to ‘prove how much power a short has’. “Most of the time, such ‘platforms’ are full of fluff and don’t get serious about the art of filmmaking. I am not here to critique but to understand the mind of the creator,” he begins.
Expected to be very different from the previous avatar, the director of Lakshmi and Hyderabad Blues says this one will have ‘meaty discussions, minus the criticism and cynicism’. Plus, the added bonus of the short film being shown after the interview.
Launch pad
While he may be glad to be in front of the camera, he says the format made him a bit uncomfortable. “I was admittedly caught off guard by the whole news format and being formal in the middle of a casual chat. I didn’t really enjoy the degree of stiffness during the filler time and break introductions, but the chatting was great fun,” he says.
Bright future
Tapping into the minds of fringe filmmakers Kukunoor says that he found it exciting to see the amount of talent. But what he likes most about the show is that viewers will get glimpse into the future of the Indian film industry. “These are the people who will take over the baton in a few years. This is what you can expect in terms of content but on a larger scale, hopefully,” shares the director, whose latest film Dhanak won The Grand Prix at the recently concluded Berlin International Film Festival.
Between shows, Kukunoor will be jet-setting across the globe for film festivals to promote Dhanak before heading back to India. “I’d rather promote this one before diving into another. Hopefully, Dhanak will be in cinemas in August this year. After that, it’ll be back to the drawing board,” he signs off.
Thursdays, at 9 pm on NDTV Prime.