The maverick director, Nagesh Kukunoor is back with a bang with Aashayein, which as the title suggests is about a man's eternal hope that keeps him alive through a sea of adversities. According to Nagesh, Aashayein, as the title suggests, is a film about hope.

It is a story of a compulsive gambler, who forever lives in the hope of striking it big someday without realising that he is losing out on precious days of his life in the search of that elusive happiness. But that is a gamble he decides to take; whether or not his gamble pays off, is something that viewers have to watch out for.

Ask him if the title has been inspired by the hit song from his earlier film Iqbal and he becomes a bit defensive. Although he does not admit the fact in to-to, he doesn't disagree either. "I felt that the title jelled perfectly with the theme of eternal hope in the face of adversity and it would also help achieve an instant connection with the viewers."

Kuknoor says that although his films are always based on real issues faced by real people. Although he makes off-beat films, Kuknoor is not ready to buy the commercial-art film divide. He also doesn't believe that by not offering a fantasia-kind of film that the audiences generally crave for, he is missing out on a good chunk of revenue despite getting rave reviews.

"All my movies have recovered their investment and in some cases have grossed much more. I don't understand this preconceived notion that off-beat films - as what my films are branded which I refuse to comply with - get only praise and no money. It's certainly nothing of that sort.

Today's audience is not an awestruck audience who views cinema as something they go to, to experience what they can never have. Rather, they view cinema as a realistic extension of their own times and lives and hence identify with the real issues depicted and also respond to them very heartily in every way,'' he says candidly.

Nagesh also denies the fact that he is now slowly moving towards commercialism by casting saleable actors like Ayesha Takia and John Abraham in his films. He reiterates that he doesn't cast actors looking at their saleability.

"I cast them only when they completely fit into my vision of the character. I had received a lot of sceptical reviews when I had cast Ayesha in Dor, who till then had been seen only as an urban girl in all her movies. But I saw the kind of mature innocence in her face required for Dor, which prompted me to cast her in the same.

At that time, I was not thinking about how saleable she would be for the film. The same logic applies to the casting of John in Aashayein. The character is of a fun-loving, suave person who happens to be afflicted with the malaise of gambling.

Gamblers need not always be haggard-looking with bloodshot eyes, need they? I couldn't think of a better actor than John to cast in this role; had I thought of one, I would have cast him and not John, irrespective of his saleability.

When we tell him that John was not the first choice for Dor Nagesh becomes defensive and tries to ward off the issue. "Well....yes. Who told you that one? But anyways, since the cat is out of the bag, I'll admit its true, though I wouldn't like to disclose who the first choice was," is all that he is prepared to reveal.

As we have seen the subject or message is generally the hero in Kuknoor's films. Now, with the inclusion of heroes like John, does it mean the subject will get sidelined in favour of the hero? Nagesh disagrees.

"No, I'm sure it won't. If the subject is strong enough, people are bound to extract the right message out of it. In fact, I feel that with the inclusion of faces like John, they will all the more sit up and take notice."

Nagesh is yet to decide on who will be the heroine opposite John in this film since the film centres around John's character. However, he says that they would soon be hunting for someone.

Now, here is Kuknoor at the height of his confidence levels when he says that roping in big names for his films has been very easy, at least this far! Be it Ayesha or John, both have been absolutely hassle-free and co-operative. In fact, John wanted Kuknoor to pre-pone the shoot of this film, a thing quite unheard of in times when films get delayed for years on end, due to actors acting pricey.

And do you know what Nagesh thinks to be the biggest gamble of his life? Well, listen from the horse's mouth.

"Momentarily, I'd say it has been choosing John for Aashayein (laughs) but I thought if Deepa Mehta could trust him with a project like Water, he is bound to carry off Aashayein, which is a much simpler role, with élan. But in the larger scheme of things, I'd say my decision to chuck engineering in favour of making films was a huge gamble, which thankfully has paid off quite handsomely!"

After Aashayien Kuknoor and his team are set to announce their next film, titled Bombay Se Bangkok, which is a superb romantic-comedy between Shreyas Talpade and a Thai actress. But he refuses to divulge any more details saying, "That'll need another interview altogether to elaborate upon! It's that amazing a film!" - (SAMPURN)