Nepali play makes it to Off-Broadway in NYC

Director Thapa says this will open up avenues for Nepali plays in Broadway

KATHMANDU, Nov 19: ‘Jodiyun Bhatkiyeka Manharu’, directed by theater artiste Hari Bahadur Thapa of the Malati-Mangale and Amar Singh fame, will be staged at an Off-Broadway theater in Manhattan of New York, USA on December 13. This is the first Nepali play to be performed in the theater district of Broadway.

Director Thapa, in an online conversation with Republica, shared that the rehearsal for the play is in full swing. “I’m really glad that the actors are giving their hearts and souls to this play,” he said, adding that he feels “fortunate to introduce Nepali play in the Broadway.”

Written by veteran theater artiste Ashesh Malla, ‘Jodiyun Bhatkiyeka Manharu’ reflects upon the loss, suffering and pain that Nepalis went through in the aftermath of the massive April 25 earthquake. It also touches on the response of the Nepali community living abroad, who, too, has been deeply impacted by the calamity.

The play features an interesting amalgam of artists from different professional backgrounds. For most of them, this is their first ever experience working in a play.

One of them is 36-year-old Sangita Upreti, a mother of two, who works as an accountant in New York. “I have never acted in a drama, not even in school,” she told Republica, adding, “I was happy to get this opportunity, but in the initial days, I was nervous, and not comfortable at all.” For another artiste, Nadia Liban, who has the experience of performing in small plays among New York’s Nepali Community, hearing about director Thapa bringing the play to the US was a great opportunity to explore her acting skills.

Similarly, Dipika Shrestha, 28, who works in a law firm in New York, will be seen as a journalist reporting lives of the earthquake survivors. “I worked for BBC before flying to the US. After the earthquake hit, I went back to Nepal for BBC and worked for a lifeline program ‘Milijuli Nepali’ for three weeks. There I was reporting for the earthquake survivors and giving them basic life saving information,” she told Republica. Dipika, who was also seen in ‘Vagina Monologue’ written by Eve Ensler and directed by Eelum Dixit in 2010, said that she feels privileged to be cast in the play that will “introduce Nepali play in the theater district of the world.”

Another actor, Anuz Thapa, who has also been working as the media coordinator and publicist of the play, said he landed on the play by chance. “Actually, my wife Dipika, who was rehearsing for the play, told me that I perfectly fitted the role of a character they were looking for. Since I was searching for some excitement in the hectic life of New York, I agreed. Plus, I didn’t want to lose this golden opportunity, either.”

Director Thapa, who has been training the actors for more than two months now, believes that this is just a beginning and that this play will open up more avenues for more Nepali plays. He further said that he wants to bring ‘Jodiyun Bhatkiyeka Manharu’ along with the actors, to Nepal sometime in April/March next year. “But I’m not sure how practical it is since it will cost a lot. But when I return, I’ll try to seek help with the communities in New York to make another history of bringing Broadway show to Nepal for the first time,” he concluded.