Actor Khangendra Lamichhane plays the lead in the film whose screenplay he wrote after Khanal approached him with the story. Director Khanal, whose earlier films include 'Chapali Height', 'Jholay' and 'Vigilante', says the actor was the perfect choice for the role and his audition only confirmed it.What would you say 'Pashupati Prasad' is all about?
Well, it's not a film that advocates any kind of religion. It is essentially about a man who comes to Kathmandu to earn money in order to pay off his father's debt. His objective is to ensure that the heavenly doors are open for his father who is now dead. The character builds multiple relationships as the film progresses and basically, that's what the film is about—relationships.
How did the shoot go?
The duration was really short. We completed the shoot in a total of 13 days of which we shot 10 days at Pashupati and three days in Dhading. I'm a very organized and systematic person so I had everything prepared well before we commenced shooting. We had conducted workshops and visited the Pashupati area many times to break down the shots accordingly. So I knew where and how I wanted to shoot the scenes. That made the actual shoot so much easier.
What has your filmmaking experience been over the years?
When I made my debut in 2008, the industry wasn't welcoming of changes or new ideas. Films were still shot in negative film and when I spoke about wanting to go digital, people would scoff. My first two films turned out to be different from what I had intended. The first film was 'The Yug Dekhi Yug Samma' starring Rajesh Hamal. My original idea was something else but the distributers and marketing people laughed at it and they actually convinced the producer to get known faces otherwise the film wouldn't get any buyers. So I had to change the story and I guess I was fortunate that Rajesh dai agreed to be part of it.
My second film was kind of a disaster. Manisha Koirala was to be the protagonist but everything changed at the last moment. The producer's son was suddenly making his debut through the film and the story changed. I was ready to quit but was convinced by friends to stick with it. By the time I started on 'Chapali Height,' I was sure that I wanted to make a low budget film that had minimal risk. Another thing I wish I'd done differently was to show 'Vigilante' in 2D format, too. Sticking with the 3D format was a mistake financially.
You're known for making films with varied subject matter. How would you describe yourself as a filmmaker?
I enjoy experimenting with different themes and genres. All my films have been different from each other, beginning with my first one 'The Yug Dekhi Yug Samma' to 'Jholay.' Recently, someone told me that my viewers always expect my films to give them something new and fresh. So yes, I'm the kind of filmmaker who will continue experimenting and trying different things.
What can your viewers expect from you next?
I have a number of projects lined up. I will soon begin shooting for 'Chapali Height 2' after which I will do a romantic film targeted at the younger crowd. Then is another project with the 'Pashupati Prasad' team. Apart from these, I have other projects in mind but they're either not financially viable at this stage or they're likely to run into trouble with the censor board.
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