HYDERABAD: Two children embark on an enthralling journey afoot in the sand dunes of Rajasthan and various adventures follow. After movies like Hyderabad Blues and Rockford, director Nagesh Kukunoor, who has a flair for sensitively handling stories of differently abled characters, gears up for Dhanak. The story revolves around a visually impaired boy Chotu (Krrish Chabbria) and his sister Pari (Hetal Gada). Kukunoor, who calls himself a pakka Hyderabadi talks about the film, the challenges he faced and much more over a cup of Irani Chai.
What inspired you to make Dhanak?
Dhanak basically reinforces the idea that there is good still left in this cynical world and restores the faith in humanity. After movies like Lakshmi, I wanted to work on something light-hearted. It all happened when I came across Manish Mundra (Founder of Drishyam films) in 2014. I told him about the script I had about the two kids and the magical journey they embark on. He being from Rajasthan, loved the idea and we started working on it immediately.
Tell us a bit more about the movie?
The movie revolves around Pari and Chotu and their journey to meet the star. It all starts after Pari sees a poster with the hero saying ‘Donate your eyes.’ Brimming with hope, both of them set off on a road trip to get Chotu’s eyesight back and meet Shah Rukh Khan, who is in Rajasthan for a shoot. Through adventure and misadventure, aided and hindered by a bunch of bizarre and friendly people, the children traverse across the desert to make their dream come true.
What challenges did you face while shooting the film?
The heat in Rajasthan gave us a tough time. The children were sportive and gave their best. There was one scene where the children were supposed to walk on the pristine sand hand in hand but the entire setup was disturbed because of a previous shooting which happened there and we had to wait for a day to shoot the scene.
How did you come up with Dhanak as the title for the movie?
Dhanak which means rainbow in Urdu has a beautiful ring to it. It is completely from the writer’s point of view and as clichéd as it sounds, it is a beautiful depiction of how Chotu, who has never seen the light of the world, wants to see the seven colors etched across the sky when he gets his eyesight back, a child’s dream perhaps.
How did the idea of novelising Dhanak evolve?
It happened very quickly. Duckbill production house approached me to transform Dhanak into a book. The idea seemed quite appealing because it was the first time this was happening in India, transforming a movie into a book.
What did you think of the author?
Anushka Ravishankar has beautifully brought out the emotions and ideas in the book. The minor digressions are quite enjoyable with snippets of interviews from both the kids.
The process behind getting Dhanak from paper to the screen?
I am an aggressive filmmaker. When I set my mind to something, I will go to any extent to get it done. After jotting down the story on paper, the whole process from researching and visiting a blind school followed. Working on casting, the songs and setups happened quickly and Dhanak was made.