Director Tsering Rhitar Sherpa has been in the film industry for 18 years. Starting out as a director and producer, he also brought out many acclaimed works such as 'Mukundo: Mask of Desire.'
These days he is basking in the popularity of TV series 'Singha Durbar', where his direction has been much appreciated. He shares with Republica five things about him not many may know.
He loves cyclingCycling has been a part of Tsering's workout routine for the past five years. But thanks to the fuel crisis, it's now his commute, too. A long ride on his bike is also his favorite means to relax. "I enjoy going on long rides on my cycle, usually with my friends. That isn't possible very often, but we manage to arrange cycle tours at least once in two months," Tsering shares.
He is a night owl
Filmmaking is a lot about preparing and planning well ahead before the shoot. And Tsering likes to do that in the night time when it's quieter and his phone doesn't buzz too often. "I feel at my creative best at night; mostly I'm just preparing, writing, thinking or watching a movie when everyone else is fast asleep," he says. Usually he goes to bed after 1 AM.
He watches one movie a day
This also happens to be one of the reasons for why he sleeps late. Watching one movie a day is a habit he cultivated while he was in college studying Journalism and Mass Communication. Sometimes he also manages to watch two. "Watching movies while lying comfortably on my bed de-stresses me. Plus, watching movies is vital to me to know the various aspects of filmmaking," shares the director, whose favorite genres of movies include thriller, drama, and children's films.
He is very 'very' punctual
"Filmmaking is an art, but it's also a lot about management. And management isn't possible without even one of the team members being late. If one person is late, the whole synergy breaks down," Tsering explains. To ensure that everyone arrives on the set on time, this director doesn't mind being the first to show up every day. "If the team leader is punctual, it gives others a moral obligation to follow suit," he says. On a lighter note, he says that the reason he is punctual is because he isn't at all choosy about his clothes: "And that saves me a lot of time."
He hasn't cloth-shopped for nearly seven years
Tsering has never really been conscious about his appearance. He doesn't like to shop clothes because he doesn't find happiness in fancy clothes. Most of the clothes that he owns are either old or gifted to him by his wife and relatives. "I don't even shop for new clothes during Dashain," he says.