HYDERABAD BLUES

Producer & Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
*ing: Nagesh Kukunoor, Vikram Inamdar, Rajshri Nair

Simple, honest and crisp, Hyderabad Blues is about the homecoming of an American Indian. The movie is a first time effort of the 28-year-old chemical engineer, Nagesh Kukunoor. Shot in 17 days with a budget of Rs 2 million, it has little known faces as its cast.

Finding himself a foreigner at native soil, Varun (played by director Kukunoor) tries to bridge the cultural chasm between the two countries across the Atlantic. The protagonist's attempts at finding a balance between the "Indian" and "foreign" start a series of hilarious and thought-provoking situations.

Hounded by curious relatives and neighbours, he is looked upon as the most eligible bachelor in town. And then begin efforts at every corner to find a suitable Indian girl for him. The bipolarity is evident when Varun tries to woo a young lady doctor (Rajshri Nair) who is prejudiced against everything western. The bafflement on his face when his girlfriend reacts angrily to his kissing attempt reveals the culture shock encountered by him.

The film refrains from directly rebuking Indian ambience and traditions. It's all smooth and life-like -- the conflict, confusion and humour. Varun does not denounce any tradition, he feels them, reluctantly.

The film proceeds without any cliches and attempts to glamourise neither India nor the West. However, all the poise Kukunoor's slick direction fails at the climax. The attempt to make everything funny falls flat at the end. Nevertheless, Hyderabad Blues remains an impressive effort to highlight something that the young Indian generation faces all the time.