Sadly, bullying a norm: debut director Vandana Kataria

Writer and debut director, Vandana Kataria started her career as a production designer for the film ‘Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye’ in 2008. This was followed by ‘Shanghai’ in 2012 and ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy’ in 2015.

With experience of directing commercials, music videos, and corporate films in the past, she has now ventured into her first feature film ‘Noblemen’, which is all set to release on June 28. The movie is an adaptation of the Shakespeare play, ‘Merchant of Venice’ and features actor Kunal Kapoor as the lead character.

The story is about a 15-year-old boy who is terrorised by a gang of bullies in a posh boarding school.

In an interview with Metrolife, Vandana throws light on why she chose the subject of bullying and the idea of the adaptation of a classic play.

How did you get the idea to make a film like Noblemen?

I was actually trying to sell my first script (which is now signed with RSVP) when my managers Tulsea Pictures told me about the Saregama Yoodlee project. They were doing adaptations of world literature in the public domain. I picked Merchant of Venice. We decided upon the setting of an all-boys boarding school, to tell the tale of the oppressors and oppressed. A tale of revenge gone wrong.

Why the topic of bullying?

Bullying is a terrible social evil that we have turned a norm. It starts in schools and homes at a young age, and because it goes unchecked, it finds its way in our workplaces, streets and even social media.

Bullies are everywhere, and it can be extremely harmful to a child’s psyche, so much so that it can break a child for life, or turn him into a monster.

In Merchant of Venice, Shylock, a Jewish trader, is picked upon by the Christian Lords. He’s had enough of the bullying, and the story begins when he happens to be presented with the opportunity to get even with his tormentors.

How do you create a balance between showing or making a point to children without making it look gory?

This film is not for children. It is about them, but it is a film for adults. It’s a comment on bullying, it’s a comment on society and us, as individuals.

What made you pursue film making?

After school, I went to the National Institute of Design, where I did my undergraduate course in Film & Visual Communication.

I have been trained to be a filmmaker. I have made all kinds of films in the past -- short films and long; commercials, music videos and corporate short films. Now, I am looking forward to making feature films.

If you get a chance to remake a classic, which one would it be?

Jules and Jim by Francois Truffaut. I always wanted to write and make my own version of this.