Sitaram Kattel, who initially gained popularity by portraying the hilarious character of Dhurmus in the sitcom Meri Bassai, is not only a successful comedian but a scriptwriter and director as well. But, in the recent times, it’s not his work as an artist or filmmaker but his philanthropic deeds that have increased the number of his fans and followers. From building villages after the earthquakes of 2015 to helping flood victims, he has worked selflessly to help his fellow countrymen during times of need.
“When I was younger I wanted to become an artist,” says Kattel. “I was good at painting,” he explains adding that he wanted to act after he saw Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya’s play projected on a screen at his village. “They were my inspiration,” he says. Born in Solukhumbu, he was expected to help his father in their farm. His love for acting, however, pushed him to come to Kathmandu.
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“I started my acting career against my parent’s will. I had never imagined I would one day be so highly appreciated. Now, I find myself working even harder to match the expectations of my audience,” he says. But that’s not all he is doing. Kattel, along with his wife, established an organization named the Dhurmus Suntali Foundation after the devastating earthquake of 2015 and through it have been helping disaster victims. “I feel like it is my responsibility to serve people in need,” he says.
But Kattel says he wouldn’t have been able to do anything without the support and encouragement from his wife. “My wife has played an integral role in building my career. I would have been nothing without her,” says Kattel adding that she has been a great support system in his acting career as well as social work initiatives.
Kattel and his wife have been able to gain great trust among the masses through their visible reconstruction work. Their work has been highly appreciated and is supported through various fundraisers. “People trust us because our organization is transparent,” says Kattel. “We want to share our happiness with others. This nation has given us a lot and now it is our time to give back,” he says. Their foundation is currently helping flood victims in the Tarai region.
Through their foundation they have been able to construct many model villages in Nepal. Kattel also wishes to convince people that it is possible to rebuild our beautiful nation by working together. He believes we don’t always need to wait for help to arrive or policies to come into effect to bring about change. “We all just need to do our little bit,” he concludes.
(Swasti Gautam)
