PM Karki pays tribute to Thapa

Kathmandu, Feb. 7

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has said that the news of the untimely demise of popular Nepali cinema actor Sunil Thapa has deeply saddened her.

She offered her heartfelt tribute to the departed soul and expressed deepest condolences to the bereaved family, relatives, well-wishers, and the entire artistic community.

“With his passing, both the Nepali and Indian film industries have lost not just a multi-dimensional artist, but also a solid pillar,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to her, from his portrayal of the fiery villain in Chino to the coach in Mary Kom, his remarkable roles as both antagonist and supporting actor won the hearts of millions. Each of these characters will forever remain alive in the memories of us, the audience.

“His dedication, commitment, and contribution over more than four decades will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for future generations of artists,” said PM Karki.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 February 2026.  

Sunil Thapa, immortalised as ‘Rate Kaila’, dies at 68

Kathmandu, Feb. 7

Veteran actor Sunil Thapa passed away on Saturday at the age of 68.

He suffered a sudden health complication early Saturday morning and was rushed to Norvic Hospital in Thapathali for treatment.

“Since he had to leave for a film shoot in the morning, he had asked an assistant who stayed with him to wake him up early. When the assistant went to wake him, Thapa was found unconscious and was immediately taken to the hospital. After preliminary examinations, doctors declared him dead,” Film Artists’ Association President Mohan Niraula said.

Actor Thapa is survived by his wife Rajani Limbu, a son and a daughter. His family members live in Mumbai, India.

Thapa had been actively involved in Nepali and Indian cinema for decades, and his untimely demise has left the entire Nepali arts and film fraternity in shock. He was widely respected for giving depth, recognition and dignity to antagonistic roles in Nepali films, earning acclaim comparable to that of lead actors.

He was especially popular among audiences for his iconic role as ‘Rate Kaila’, which became one of the most memorable villains in Nepali cinema. Through his strong screen presence and distinctive acting style, Thapa earned a unique place for himself in the film industry. Filmmaker   Prakash Sayami said that he was the man of the script and would do justice with his roles through superb acting that looked natural.

“He established himself as a realist villain. His contributions to the Indian cinema have also been greatly recognised,” he said. Thapa acted in two cinemas – Sapana and Trishna – directed by Sayami.

The Film Development Board said in a statement that Sunil Thapa left an indelible mark on the history of Nepali cinema through his powerful, profound and lifelike portrayals of antagonistic characters.

“His role as ‘Raate Kaila’ in the film Chino (1989) will forever be remembered as a timeless and iconic character in Nepali cinema. By performing successfully in both Nepali and Hindi (Bollywood) films, he made a significant contribution to elevating Nepali artists to the international stage,” said the Board.

According to the Board, Thapa took the definition of a ‘villain’ in Nepali cinema to new heights.  His passing represents an irreparable loss to the Nepali art, culture, and film sectors.

 

A remarkable career

In his extensive acting career, spanning more than 138 films, his notable Nepali works include Mashal, Chino, Deuki, Thuldai, Sannani, Paribhasha, Mahadevi, Saraswati, Aago, Anyaya, Ta Ta Sarai Bigris Ni Badri, Yo Mayako Sagar, Naari, Rudraksha, and Prem Geet 3. His prominent Hindi films include Ek Duuje Ke Liye, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Albela, Naseebwala and Mary Kom.

He also played Bhojpuri movies like Nirahua Chalal London, Sarkar Raj and Sher-E Hindustan.

The Indian audience and media has recognised him for his acting as a coach of Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the biopic of boxing player Mary Kom, and as David Khuju in The Family Man 3. He was nominated at the Filmfare Awards for his supporting role in Mary Kom.

Sunil Thapa started his career as a photojournalist for JS Magazine in India during the 1970s and covered the historic Bhutan Coronation in 1974. News X World writes, “He also built a career as a model for leading fabric brands and played professional football for Bombay clubs.”

It also noted that Thapa’s character in The Family Man 3 played a crucial role in the storyline and left a lasting impact on viewers. Manoj Bajpayee, Thapa’s co-star in The Family Man 3, has paid an emotional tribute to him. Prominent Indian media, including India Today, Hindustan Times, Times of India and India TV, have given extensive coverage to the news of Thapa’s demise.

In 1981, he debuted in cinema from Hindi film Ek Duje Ke Liye. However, Sayami said that Dev Anand had signed him for a short role in Saheb Bahadur. “He had come to Nepal to play a role in Ananya - a movie of Bishwo Basnet. But as the shooting of the movie was delayed, Thapa signed a movie ‘Mashal’ (1982) being made by the Sikkim Film Corporation which became his first movie in Nepali language,” said Sayami. He was with Narendra Shrestha and Bishwo Tuladhar then.

He served as the chairperson of the Everest Film Academy and contributed to Nepali cinema. Thapa’s last cinematic appearance was in Eklo, a Nepali sci-fi movie. He was briefly seen in the recent Telugu sci-fi movie Mirai.

 

Reel turns real

Veteran actor Nir Shah remembered Thapa as a bosom friend and a good human being

.

He mentioned a tragic coincidence connecting the death where Thapa’s shooting schedule for Saturday turned into reality. Thapa was busy doing Ram Nam Satya Ho, for the past few weeks. On Friday evening, Thapa was to do a scene in which his body would be lit in pyre, but when they did not manage time, they postponed it for Saturday.  And on Saturday, Thapa had to be cremated in real!

Actor Saroj Khanal was greatly shocked by the news of Thapa's demise.

"I have not overcome the shock yet from the sad news," Khanal told The Rising Nepal Saturday evening. Khanal and Thapa were to meet on Saturday. But when Khanal woke up, he heard the bad news, and rushed to Norvic Hospital, where his body was kept.

"I paid tribute to his mortal body, and came home," Khanal said. According to Khanal, Thapa was a guardian actor for him. He also did several films with Thapa, including Sannani and Paribhasha.

Likewise, actor Bhuwan KC said in a social media post that Sunil was not only an artist to him but also a good friend.

He recalled spending many close moments with Sunil on numerous film sets after they first worked together in the Nepali film Chino, and said that they also collaborated on films he himself produced.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress mourned senior actor Sunil Thapa’s death. Party president Gagan  Kumar Thapa said the loss shocked him, calling it an irreplaceable blow to Nepali and Indian cinema.

 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 February 2026.  

Seeing Nepal’s Action Hero Up Close

Book: Yugdekhi Yugsamma: Jiban, Cinema ra Samaj - Rajesh Hamal sanga Yagyesh (Biography). Publisher: Fine Print. Pages: 200. Price: Rs. 848. ISBN: 978-9937-790-68-0. 

'Paribhasha' is the only movie I watched twice in the cinema hall. I was a school student in Janata Vidyalaya Tansen during the 1990s. I liked the 'redeemed villain' played by Rajesh Hamal. Although Tulsi Ghimire's 'Lahure' was the first movie that I watched, 'Gopi Krishna' was the one I liked the most. For sure, the double role played by Hamal and the monkey had a long-lasting imprint on the mind of a child. Furthermore, the hero in 'Gopi Krishna' was a macho and had a larger-than-life image compared to the heroes of contemporary movies. The first movie shooting that I observed was 'Deuki' – another film played by Hamal. 

During my high-school days in Tansen, two actors dominated our talk – Rajesh Hamal and Dhiren Shakya, both from Palpa. I knew it then that Hamal's father, Chuda Bahadur Hamal, who went to become Nepal's Ambassador to Pakistan, taught at the Padmodaya Public School, which was on the way to my school. We were proud that such a 'great hero' was from our city. And this feeling never went away. As I grew up, I found many other ways to appreciate the actor – he was well-read (During our intermediate studies, we used to say we were studying the same subject as Hamal studied), well-built and well spoken. He could talk about people, culture, literature and cinema. And literally, for a long time, he remained unmatched, at least in the Nepali cinema industry. 

When journalist Yagyesh authored a book on Hamal, I was quick to get a copy and instantly savored it with much enthusiasm and emotion. 'Yugdekhi Yugsamma – Jiban, Cinema ra Samaj' (Rajesh Hamal Sanga Yangesh) is probably the first biography of any Nepali cinema artistes that hit the market in a rather unusual form of presentation – interview format. 

Hamal has long been synonymous with Nepali action hero – especially for the millennials. He entered the industry with long hair, a robust body and action skills. He powerfully drew the rural audiences to the cinema halls and even during the decade-long armed conflict, he managed to save his popularity and relevance. As he reveals in the book, he was welcomed and cherished by both the guerrillas and the security personnel. 

The book breaks multiple myths. First, people don't like to read interviews because they are boring. Personally, reading conversations is not a choice for me as well. Yangesh's skill and expertise are demonstrated in the presentation of the interview-format biography of the most-favourite artiste of Nepali cinema so far. When I was in the university, I used to regularly read the Indian film magazine 'Filmfare' as I found the language, style and presentation of the content readable and entertaining. 'Yugdekhi Yugsamma' follows a similar style and tone, albeit in the Nepali language.

 Although the entire book is a giant interview of a person, readers don't stumble on questions or answers; they flow with the story as it shuttles them between the past and the present. It's a time-travel roller coaster. All the conversations are in-depth and well researched but presented in a lighter tone and readable language. You don't feel you are reading an interview all along but are immersed in the story, ignoring the questions. 

Second, cinema professionals don't know much about life and society. Hamal's understanding of society, cinema, politics and human relations has already left many astounded. He has earned a great respect from people for his opinions expressed at various literature festivals and talk shows. He sounds even better in the book. 

His neutrality in terms of political philosophy and good understanding of the major political philosophies like communism and democracy amuse readers. He surprises you with his take on 'formula film', spirituality, and religion. 

The third, film artists are privileged people who have nothing to worry about. Hamal's life was topsy-turvy during his adolescence and youth. His father didn’t talk to him, he spent more time out of the home, drank a lot, found love multiple times but none stayed with him, and his relationship with his brother was unworkable. But he is among the few artistes who have best understood the film industry vis-à-vis Nepali society, people and politics. 

The fourth, biographies present only a selective perception of the writer and vital parts that readers want to know are omitted. Since Hamal talked to Yangesh about his life, experiences and feelings, the latter asked probing questions that might have made other celebrities uncomfortable. But the actor has open-mindedly responded to every type of question. He is happy to share that his fans chanted 'Rajesh Hamal – Jindabad' in Bhairahawa long time back, waited for the whole day outside a cinema to have a glimpse of their favourite actor, and his shootings were disturbed due to their massive turnout. 

Meanwhile, he also shares childhood memories -- that he ate all the chickens in Rajhar village of Nawalparasi in pursuit of being like Dara Singh, an Indian wrestler of his time. The book can be a window to peep into the Nepali cinema industry from 1990 to 2015 and develop an understanding of what to expect from it. It is entertaining to read Hamal's view on his typecasting, resemblance to Mithun Chakraborty of Indian cinema, 'Mahanayak' title, and some of his popular dialogues. 

You may disagree with me at some points since the book seems to be a tale of a lonely man who is at the top and looking at you, society and cinema from there. Although his bird’s-eye view might seem insufficient to explain the things wholly, you might wonder – although the book gives many reasons – why didn't this 'Mr. Know All' even try to make things better, remake Nepali cinema and redefine his relations with his colleagues, and above all, his family. At times, he seems to have attained the 'Sthitpragya status' – the one who is not affected both by grief and happiness, and is beyond emotions – as mentioned in the Bhagwad Gita. 

I enjoyed every part of the book from the beginning to the end and liked the way Yagyesh drives the conversation with the 'top-guy' of Nepali cinema. But even after reading the 300-page book, I am left with many questions in my mind. I would like to know Hamal's personal relations with his colleagues in the cinema, intimate moments with his mother, relations with school-mates, college friends and producers, details on his relations with his wife Madhu before marriage and cinema stereotyping. I am sure, he is saving all this information for his autobiography. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily's Friday Supplement on 28 November 2025.

'A Road To A Village' Reaches Beijing

 "Does Nepal produce its own movies? The one I saw today is a good one." This question from a Chinese audience during an interaction on the film 'A Road to a Village' (Gaun Aayako Bato) startled Nabin Subba, director and producer of the movie. He calmly responded to the girl, who had been in Nepal for a couple of days a few years ago, that the southern neighbour of China produces about 150 movies a year, and it's a promising industry. 

This is the first time any Nepali feature movie has premiered at the Beijing Film Festival (BJIFF) 2024, which is concluding its 14th edition on Friday, April 26. However, a few short movies and documentaries have been premiered at various festivals and occasions in different Chinese cities. The premier of 'Gaun Aayako Bato' saw a good number of audiences who passionately participated in the interaction with Subba and another producer, Amod Rai. This has created awareness about the Nepali movies and cinema industry at the festival, where companies and organisations involved in film production, equipment, logistics, and promotion from many countries, including South Korea, Brazil, and Thailand, have exhibited their products and policies. These countries have set up their stalls at one of the largest film festivals in the Asia-Pacific region to lure moviemakers to go there for film shoots or to hire equipment and technology. 

'Gaun Aayako Bato' has been memorable for Chinese and foreign spectators for four reasons: it presents contradictions between traditional and cultural products and capitalism; it was the first feature film to be premiered in the BJIFF; it has artists who look like Chinese; and it was produced through community funding. A Japanese national asked this scribe whether Chinese artists worked in the movie. "They looked like us," he said. The lead characters of the film, Dayahang Rai, Pashupati Rai, and Prasan Rai, look like Chinese.

Subba and Rai expressed satisfaction over the reactions to the movie and the good reviews that it drew from the audience. Subba has created a turning point in the Nepali entertainment industry with 'Numafung' in 2001 and the teleserial 'Dalan' in 2008. 'Gaun Aayako Bato', releasing in Nepal on June 3 this year, is a moving story and a compelling journey to a village in an eastern district where there is a contradiction between rural customs and modern development. While the story revolves around the changes and maladies brought about by the newly built road to the village, the film tells a heartening story of the relationship between the parents and their son. 

The movie successfully presented how the road introduced modernization to the village through carbonated drinks, hip-hop songs, sunglasses, and television. 

Meanwhile, it aptly describes the factors that force a youth to leave the village in search of a job abroad. There are a few livelihood options in the villages, but at times they become demotivating and humiliating, at worst. Most of the time, characters talk about big cities and time. Life in the hills is very hard and less rewarding. 

The 'Gaun Aayako Bato' film shows that materialistic achievements give a kind of superiority in society. Not only the village leaders and returnee migrants but also the kids exercise it as Bindrey (the son enacted by Prasan) makes his friends stand in a queue and forces them to follow his orders when he gets a chance to have a bottle of carbonated drink. The evolution of the concept is exhibited through the symbol of eyeglasses—natural material, paper, photo film, and a pair of goggles that Bindrey dons at different times. 

The film is funded through community sponsorship, which is a new model for Nepal and many other producers abroad. The money is raised from Nepali and Rai communities in Hong Kong, Macao, and elsewhere. "When I heard the story portraying the Rai community from Nabin, I was quite confused in the beginning. But after some contemplation, I thought it was a good story to develop into a cinema," said Amod, who is based in Hong Kong. He said that this model could prove sustainable in the long run. It creates community ownership over the cultural product. 

Speaking at the interaction, Subba said that Nepal and China are trying to develop relations in multiple sectors, and art and culture could be a significant area for collaboration. He has found Chinese society more open to foreign movies and culture.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 April 2024.        

Khurrana Wai Wai brand ambassador in India

Kathmandu, Sept. 5

CG Foods, a FMCG segment of CG Corp Global, has announced its partnership with Bollywood’s superstar Ayushmann Khurrana as its new brand ambassador.

"With a legacy of 25 years and a dedicated following among the youth, Wai Wai is set to further solidify its position by joining forces with Ayushmann Khurrana, whose genuine and versatile persona deeply resonates with the youth," the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Varun Chaudhary, Managing Director of CG Foods and CG Corp Global India, said, “Collaborating with Ayushmann Khurrana was my top priority, and I am delighted that we have joined forces in such a short time."

India is an important market for us, and I am dedicated to ensuring that Wai Wai attains a leadership position with its roots deeply entrenched in India, said Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, Ayushmann said, “It’s an absolute pleasure to be associated with a youth-facing brand like Wai Wai. What sets it apart is the vibrant and diverse range of products it offers. From an array of exotic noodles catering to every taste, region, and preference, the brand lives up to its name.”

CG Corp Global is operating businesses in 27countries. CG Foods India Pvt Ltd owns seven plants and 10 manufacturing lines in India.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 September 2023. 

Actress Karishma starts selling electronics

Kathmandu, Sept 1

Actress Karishma Manandhar has entered into the business of electronics good.

Her company Risik Trading Concern Pvt. Ltd. has launched the electronics goods of Intex, an Indian company.

The distribution company in Nepal said that it would supply electronics goods required for family needs.

"I am hopeful that consumers would buy products of Intex for their domestic uses," she said at a press conference organised to announce the launching of the business on Wednesday.

Intex has been in electronic goods production for the last two-and-a-half decades, but it is now launched in the Nepali market by Karishma.

"This is my new journey to the business of electronic goods and consumers will like our products as they have liked our movies," she said.

Earlier, Intex brand mobiles were introduced in Nepali market about eight years ago. It was the topmost brand of India in 2015.

Its core businesses are mobile phone, consumer electronics, home appliances and information technology products. It has spread its wings across 40 countries across the globe.

Chief of International Trade of the company Bishwas Agrawal said that the goods from Intex brand come with up to 10 years warranty and the company always strived for quality products to the consumers.

"Nepal was the first international market for the company. We want to take it to the newer heights. Some of the products of the company like the refrigerator have received very good feedback," said Vinay Joshi, Country Manager of the company in Nepal.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 2 September 2021. 

'An extraordinary journey' priemered in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Nov. 11: One Youth, an organisation working in the education and social sectors in Nepal, has premiered its first documentary, ‘An extraordinary journey’, in Kathmandu.

Produced under the banner of Mitra Films and directed by Jasper Neupane and Rashmita Limbu, the documentary tells the tale about the effort of young people to take educational materials to the remote villages in the mountains and establish library and small computer labs in schools.

‘An extraordinary journey’ is a 37-minute documentary showing the work of One Youth to improve education in rural schools in Khotand and Solukhumbu while walking 25 days to the Everest Base Camp. The documentary is divided into 12 different chapters.

Damli Secondary School in Khotang district and Janata School in Lokhim of Solukhumbu district were the major shooting locations for the documentary.

Co-director Neupane said that the theme of the documentary was to make everyone aware that anything was possible only if you set your mind towards it.

The documentary has been also premiered in the United States of America, Sweden and Australia. Co-director of the documentary and Secretary of One Youth Rashmita Limbu said that the organisation had completed its projects in various districts in eastern Nepal and the new project would be executed in the far western region.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 12 November 2018. 

Box-office hits snag during full implementation

Kathmandu, Oct. 27:

Cinema halls have delayed the full implementation of the box-office system that the government brought into practice to avert siphoning off of revenues.

The system was introduced also to promote transparency and support the film producers to secure their investment. 

Following long lobbying and protest by film producers, the government had implemented the system in the cinema-halls of the Kathmandu Valley in the first phase from July 17 this year. It was to be expanded to all cinema halls across the country from November 19.

But citing technological shortage and inability to put in additional costs, cinema halls have been pushing the date of box-office implementation, say the producers.

Nepal Film Association (NFA) has said that the cinema halls outside the Kathmandu Valley will apply the new system from January 15 next year.

Many cinema halls other than the multiplexes have been still using manual ticketing system.

Even after the introduction of the digital box-office system, the ticket sales data was taking an hour to be public. Box-office collects the exact number of tickets sold and the income made. In the absence of such a system, the exhibitors were accused of misappropriating the producers’ share of income.

President of Nepal Film Producers’ Association (NFPA) and cinema director Akash Adhikari said that the tax administration should conduct monitoring of the cinema halls in order to make the new system more effective, and ensure the government gets the revenue and the producers get their share of income.

“At the same time, the cinema halls should be supported with the necessary technology. NFPA is ready to launch an awareness campaign in collaboration with the tax administration, and we are going to have a dialogue for the same, soon,” said Adhikari.

He said that the data should be made available in real time.

Director of Team Quest, a company that operates QFX Cinemas, Nakim Uddin said that the multiplexes had no problem with the adoption of the new system since they had been issuing digital tickets and online services for a long time.

“We have been using e-ticketing from the beginning of the multiplex business. But, in the absence of an expert data management company, there might be some troubles in the system as the software of the cinema exhibition companies varies from company to company,” he said.

According to him, the entrepreneurs had warned the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology about the technological challenges of the box-office system.

He pointed out a need of a dedicated company for data management and coordination.

Mohan Saraf, owner of Bishwa Jyoti Cinema, said that since the expenditure of the cinema hall has increased due to the implementation of the box-office system, the government should support hall owners with relevant technology and software.

He also said that the box-office should be implemented across the country at the earliest.

“Effective networking, new technological set-up and additional cost are the challenges to the cinema exhibitors, mainly smaller film halls outside the valley,” he said.

Saraf also said that there were some weaknesses on the part of cinema halls as well and this will be overcome with better coordination among the government, film producers, Film Development Board and NFA.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 October 2018. 

Sanju And Journalists

During an event last week, a seasoned businessman suggested that all the journalists should watch the recent Bollywood blockbuster ‘Sanju’, a biopic on Sanjay Dutt, just because the movie has heavily come on the journalists. He went on further proposing to organise and sponsor a special show for the journalists of ‘Online news portals and Weekly newspapers’. Since the businessman is good terms with many journalists, he made the statement just in zest, but it stirred me from deep inside. 

Again this week, a businessman at ‘24th Cargo Day’ celebration, asked some journalists whether they had watched ‘Sanju’. As most of the journalists gestured ‘No’, he immediately advised them to watch. 

Suggesting someone to watch a certain movie is normal but this case is different. Not to get surprised, you will find every second ‘Sanju watcher’ in the town suggesting that journalists should watch the movie just because the media persons are portrayed negatively in the movie and have been blamed for ruining Sanjay’s life. 

As the movie has portrayed the negative side of the journalism – paparazzi, privacy busters and hounds following trivia, and downplayed other beautiful aspects such as muckraking, socially responsible and public interest follower, the newsmakers who were stung by the truth-seeking journalists have found their satisfaction in the abuse. Corrupt government officials and businessmen involved in shady business practices were prompt to suggest journalists to watch the movie. 

However, we must be aware of the other side of the coin as well. All the government officers are not corrupt; neither all the businessmen are involved in unethical business activities. The society has a clear reflection in the part of journalists as well. There are instances when journalists have blackmailed businessmen and involved in extortions. 

Some businessmen shy away from meeting a journalist and deny commenting even on a public topic fearing that they would come the next day with the published piece of opinion or web link, and ask for money for giving coverage. 

A couple of years ago, a tourism entrepreneur had said that a journalist from a broadsheet daily asked him about Rs. 10,000 for publishing his interview. Recently, a journalist had walked out with a rice cooker from a utensil shop in Kathmandu with a promise that he wouldn’t publish the information of the outlet that it was not registered with the government. 
Journalism is the business with constitutional guarantee of ‘freedom’ just because it has a tremendous responsibility towards society and people. It has the responsibility to give voice to the voiceless and ignite hope in people through the ‘language of hope’. And, media should give voice to many economic and business issues in order to create business-friendly environment. 

Flourishing business means more opportunities for employment and livelihood which will ultimately pave way towards economic prosperity and development. As the country is on the springboard of development, the media should play the role of a non-partisan watchdog.
The media must keep it clean by adhering to the journalistic code of conduct and following the ‘self-righteousness’ process. It must not scare any other than the wrongdoers.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 1 August 2018. 

'Singhadurbar-2' to begin from today

Kathmandu, July 27:

The second season of tele-drama ‘Singha Durbar’ will be aired every Saturday on Nepal Television from July 28.

The 13-episode drama is produced by Search for Common Ground – Nepal in collaboration with Subha Media Home with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Nations agencies in Nepal.

According to the producers, the new season of the drama focuses on the challenges and opportunities that Nepal faces under its new federal structure.

The series continues to highlight the political journey of the main protagonist and Nepal’s first reel life Prime Minister, Asha Singh, played by veteran actor Gauri Malla.

It will profile how she leads the country to successfully adopt the federal structure as well as related policies and plans.

“The series will also touch upon issues related to federalization; human trafficking; disaster risk reduction and management; and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) rights,” said the USAID.

 The secretary of Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), Dinesh Thapaliya said, “The TV series aims to bridge the gap between the people and the government, and aspires to capacitate them on issues related to governance and federalism.” 

The show is directed by Nabin Subba and features actors like Ramesh Ranjan Jha, Pramod Agrahari, Ramesh Budhathoki, Alok Thapa, Badal Bhatta, Prakash Ghimire and Suresh Chaudhary.

The script of the drama is penned by and team led by Abhinash Bikram Shah and Tsering Choden which included Prabin Adhikari, Sampada Malla and Surash Poudel.

“We have presented a more humanized character—a Prime Minister who is afraid to fail the expectation of the people, and an ensemble of characters who represent current day leaders and the public,” said Subba.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 July 2018. 

Short Movie Festival kicks off at Kumari

Kathmandu, Nov. 17

The fifth edition of Ekadeshma – International Short Film Festival kicked off in the capital on Thursday.

The four-day festival being organised at Kumari Cinema will feature 99 movies from 43 countries around the world.

Organizers said that the movies were divided into five categories: Power – resilience, Power – choice, Power – freedom, Let there be light and Changing perspective.

There is a special session for Bangladeshi movies. Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover also attended the opening ceremony of the film mela.

The movies selected for the festival were based on the stories of struggle and self-revelation. Short movies screened at the inaugural function also depicted the theme.

A panel discussion on Opening Doors was organised on Friday which was focused on orientation on Locarno Open Doors, whose special focus for the next three years is eight South Asian countries including Nepal.

There will be another discussion on Women in Films, which will discuss issues on mirroring the women's role in Nepali Film Industry where artistes Manisha Koirala, Ramyata Limbu, Subina Shrestha and Menuka Rai will deliberate on the issues.

Similarly, issues on South Asian Film Cooperation will also be discussed in order to explore possibilities of co-production between the South Asian nations under the shadow of gigantic Indian Film Industry.

Nepal-Africa Film Fest kicks off in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Sept. 18

The sixth Nepal-Africa Film Festival (NAFF) 2017 kicked off here on Monday. 

Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the 3-day event amidst a function at the Russian Cultural Centre. 

Altogether nine films will be screened during the festival being organised by the College of Journalism and Mass Communication (CJMC). 

Festival director and principal of CJMC Dr. Manju Mishra said that the films being screened at the festival are from Egypt, Tanzania, Uganda, Chichuwa/USA, Morocco/France, Senegal, Rwanda and Nepal.

A Nepali cinema, Dr. Khate, directed by Rabi Aryal, will be screened at the closing ceremony of the NAFF on Wednesday. 

“NAFF seeks to address the need for a platform that provides an unbiased and integrated representation of Africa’s diverse cultures and the changes that are sweeping the African continent,” said Dr. Mishra. 

According to her, the core objective of the festival was to venerate and celebrate the diversity, which is so abundantly prevalent throughout Africa. 

Inaugurating the festival, Oli said that such events help to exchange knowledge, art and culture between Asia and Africa. 

“We must learn about Africa and its people and culture since it’s the cradle of human civilisation,” he said. 

Various kinds of cultural show, dance and African fashion show were organised on the occasion.

Head of the Department of Faculty of Journalism, Oslo University College, Norway Prof. Kristin Skare Orgeret, and former Department Head of African Research Centre at the Communication University of China Prof. Zang Yanqui appreciated the festival for the contribution it has made in enhancing the South-South cooperation. 

The festival is co-organised by Ubuntu Nepal in collaboration with Zanzibar Film Festival, Russian Cultural Centre,Film Development Board of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board and Alliance Franciase.