Director Nagesh Kukunoor, who is popular for making films like Hyderabad Blues, Iqbal, Dor, Bollywood Calling, Aashayein, Mod, Lakshmi and others, is all set to make his first Telugu film. The film is a sports drama, which has Keerthy Suresh as the lead role, and she will be seen playing a sharpshooter. Also, the film has actor Aadi Pinisetty and Jagapathi Babu in key roles.
Titled Good Luck Sakhi, the film marks Nagesh Kukunoor's debut in Telugu cinema. The director was in Hyderabad to talk about the film and here's an excerpt from the chit chat we had with the award-winning director.
So finally, a Telugu film. What took a Telugu speaking director so long to make a film in Telugu?
Though I belong to a Telugu speaking family, I have spent most of my life in the states. I grew up Hyderabad for some time and moved to different places. But for various reasons, I can't write and read Telugu but could speak. I was good at the 'dakhini' language, which improved my Hindi. So I wanted to be perfect with Telugu and to be skilled enough with the language to direct a film. I cannot make a film just for namesake. I want everything to be right and perfect from my side too.
Why have you chosen Keerthy to play Sakhi, what is the film about?
The last film I have watched is Mahanati. That too because people were talking a lot and I have seen women dressing as Savithri and going to the theatres. When my team and I were working on the story and were in search of the heroine, my team suggested me Keerthy's name. I was absolutely okay because I have watched Mahanati. This film is about a sharpshooter who comes from a small village. She has good people around her to help, and how she makes it big in the sport is what I cannot reveal now.
What inspired you to make this film?
Twenty years ago, I found a newspaper article on two women from some small village in North India and they were sharpshooters. I guess Saand Ki Aankh is made on them only. Two decades ago, seeing a woman holding a gun is not a small thing. So since then, I have been wanting to do one film on sharpshooting and here it is.
How working with Keerthy Suresh is?
She is fabulous. She is the most down to earth actress I have ever met or worked with. Whatever she does is just perfection and very calm. Keerthy doesn't get affected with things around her in the sets. In case she doesn't understand something, she makes sure she gets it right. Also, she used to ask me whether I wanted any changes or improvisations in her performance. She is outstanding.
