Television host, motivational speaker, and fashion designer Vinay Bharadwaj has added one more responsibility to the list. The multi-faceted person has donned the director's hat for the film Mundina Nildana.
The suspense drama releasing on November 29 features Praveen Tej, Radhika Narayan, and Ananya Kashyap in the lead.
Mundina Nildana, which means ‘next stop’, is a common phrase used in Karnataka. Vinay says the film revolves the next step in the lives of the main characters and believes that the audience will be able to connect to this story.
The debutant director says the film touches upon all the phases of life like marriage, love, career, and passion, in a light-hearted manner. “I have drawn the story from my interactions with different people. I conducted around 150 interviews on different platforms and listened to a lot of amazing stories from people. This experience impacted me a lot and you will be able to see the influence of that in all the characters of Mundina Nildana,” says Vinay adding that watching this film will aid elders to understand youngsters better and the youths will get a better clarity about life.
Vinay’s entry into the entertainment world happened by accident. “I learned everything on the job, whether it is hosting a program or making a short film. But whatever I did so far, has given me happiness,” he says. His stint in direction began with a short film, The Giving, based on organ donation. “The first time I said ‘action or cut’ was for Sudharani, one of the most versatile actors in the Kannada film industry. I later did a couple of short films, and even got an opportunity to make a documentary with Manish Malhotra for a fashion show,” adds Vinay, who quit a high-profile job to pursue his passions. “There is some madness, passion, and fire within me, which keeps me going,” he says.
As a director, Vinay says he wants to give something back to the Kannada industry. “When I did the talk show -- Mathu Kathe Vinay Jothe -- everybody appreciated the aesthetics of the programme. So, I told myself that I should make my debut as a director, I wanted to follow the same values I practised in the program. Regardless of the success of the film, I want people to remember for a long time that a film nalled Mundina Nildana, raised the bar in terms of visual filmmaking techniques. I want the film to be remembered for the songs. With Mundina Nildana, I believe my name will live beyond my time. I just want people to experience the film the way I loved it,” he concludes.