Kukunoor's back with his dramatic best

Mumbai: After his award-winning film Iqbal, director Nagesh Kukunoor is back with yet another sensitive drama Dor.

Starring Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag, Shreyas Talpade, Girish Karnad and Pratiksha Lonkar, Dor canvases the journey of two women from different worlds, and how their worlds collide through a tryst of destiny.

Coming off the incredibly well-received Iqbal, his new film is bound to ride high on expectations when it releases in September, but that doesn't bother the director.

"Expectations don't make me make a better film. As a filmmaker, every time I write something I like to present something that's not been seen before. Dor is very much an attempt like that," says Kukunoor.

Centred around a woman and her struggle to save her husband's life, the film is inspired by a true story that occurred in Saudi Arabia.

The director is all praise for one of his leading ladies who has turned in an inspired performance, he insists.

"I've been pleasantly surprised. Ayesha Takia is a phenomenal actor. People are going to be shocked," he promises.

In more ways than one, Kukunoor says Dor is his most challenging and dramatic film yet, replete with pristine locales, spectacular cinematography and soaring music.

However, at its core, as in all of his films, is the human element, the simplicity of basic human emotions.

"I am very much on that Bollywood scale — the film had emotions, drama, everything,” he says.

Already working on the script of his next film, Kukunoor is quick to clarify his position on the alleged spat with Subhash Ghai who produced Iqbal.

"There is no fall-out. We were supposed to do this film together but we didn't see eye-to-eye. It’s as simple as that,” he clarifies.