Noblemen has an insider view of bullying, says Kunal Kapoor

After the release of its trailer, the story of Noblemen became clear. Shot in Mussoorie, the drama is set in the world of a privileged boarding school where one teenager, Shay (Ali Haji), struggles to get by as he is bullied by a gang of older and more popular schoolmates.

Noblemen trailer: Ali Haji takes us through the trauma of bullying

The film, directed by first-time filmmaker Vandana Kataria, brings forward the normally neglected issue of bullying. Actor Kunal Kapoor, who plays an influential teacher at the boarding school, talked about why he chose to do the project.

"Bullying, and the subsequent mental, physical and emotional scars it leaves, is a theme that our movies haven't really explored. In our movies, schools and colleges are usually perfect. But life isn't. It's the imperfect world that is real," Kapoor explained.

"[Noblemen] is about that imperfect world and the challenges that kids face every day in school, that can either make them stronger or destroy them. It's also an insider view of bullying, and the monsters it creates. My director Vandana [Kataria] grew up in boarding and has seen and experienced many of the things you see in the film," he said.

Noblemen's director Kataria elaborated, "[Noblemen is] an important film as it brings to light a social evil which seems to have become a norm, even more so with the advent of social media. We must all come together to stand up against bullying in any form. This film is a step in that direction seen through the adolescent eyes of its 15-year-old protagonist and the world he inhabits."

On social media, the film is trying to bring attention to the hashtag 'Boo The Bully'. Noblemen, which also stars Mohammad Ali Mir, Muskaan Jaferi, Shaan Grover and Soni Razdan, is due to be released on 28 June.