This was the first official meet held by the filmmakers after the selection of the film for the 62nd Berlin Film Festival. The film premiered in the Panorama Category of the fest earlier in February this year, the first time for a Nepali film to qualify for the slot.[break]
The meet was a casual talk session where the makers, along with the actors of the movie, shared their personal experiences from prior and while shooting of the film.
“We have come a long way,” said Deepak Rauniyar, the director of the film, adding, “and we still have a long way to go.”
Highway is Rauniyar’s first feature film which narrates the story of a group of people estranged on the highway after their bus is caught in a banda.
“The story is true of our times and I think every Nepali can relate to it,” said Richa Sharma, the actor who plays Kabita, a sex worker in the film. Richa claimed that the script of Highway is better than any other films she has seen, be it from Hollywood or the Indian film industry.
Rabindra Mishra, writer, journalist, and chief of the BBC Nepali Service, has made his acting debut in the film. Excited about his new venture, he shared that he was interested in acting even back in his schooldays and had participated in acting competitions too. “I was excited and nervous. I hope I’ve done justice to the role,” he shared. His role, the makers said, was earlier offered to Rajesh Hamal.
Karma, another actor in the film, shared, “Upon hearing about the script, I couldn’t say no,” he said.
Rauniyar joined voice with Karma saying, “All I had was a script and my faith in it,” he shared.
The film´s executive producers are Sameer Mani Dixit, Lonim Prasai Dixit and Mita Hosali. The film has been produced by Aadi Productions and co-produced by the New York-based film production company Louverture Films.
A portion of the film’s budget was collected through Kickstarter, an online funding platform.
The other actors in the film are Saugat Malla, Binaya Shrestha, Eelum Dixit, Dayahang Rai, Rajan Khatiwada, Asha Magarati, Shristi Ghimire, Mamata Rai, Sandip Chhetri, Bhumika Shrestha, and Keshav Bhattarai.
Highway is set to be released on June 15.
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