Hyderabad Blues - Film August 14, 2009

Hyderabad Blues - Film. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. Cast: Nagesh Kukunoor, Rajshri Nair and others. Youth is the theme this month. Different generations of youth have been represented in Hindi cinema through varying style icons, the characters' dreams and fantasies, the situations they get entrammelled in, and the music, of course. However, these factors are not usually deeply probing of youth's real dilemmas. Mainstream narratives have essentially been closed-ended and non-realistic in nature. Some films though have periodically sought to give the theme central importance. Here are three shining examples from the last four decades, offering insight into contemporary issues.The '90s and the beginning of globalisation is where Hyderabad Blues is set. On the one hand, it has opened up opportunities for the youth, drawn by the prospect of making money abroad and having a lifestyle to match. But living in two worlds challenges notions of the stereotype. The NRI returning home is not a new subject, but here, it is handled with simplicity and humour. Nagesh Kukunoor's debut film retains the freshness of that time even after a decade. It was also a pioneering effort in low budget filmmaking that was a box office hit too. Anil Zankar, who has curated the series, will introduce the theme on the first day. Anil Zankar is a senior professor of film appreciation at the Whistling Woods International, Mumbai. He has also taught film direction at the FTII, Pune, for 15 years, and made 19 short films.

Official Website: http://www.buzzintown.com/?126412&ref=yupg&refcity=6