Nepali movies in the eyes of Nepali youths

KATHMANDU, Sept 20:  Movies today have become one of the most popular sources of entertainment. Mushrooming cinema halls, DVD stores and easy access to Internet have gained attention of many cine enthusiasts who are all geared up to broaden their horizons with new stories.[break]



With so many options available, how much loved are Nepali cinemas among Nepali youths? We sat down with five young minds to know about their attitude towards Nepali films.

Chhaya Adhikary, Surakshya Parajuli, Sambriddhi Sharma, and Smriti Pradhan are all 21 years old and doing their BBA-BI at Ace Institute of Management, New Baneshwor. And Sandeep Bhattarai, 25, is an undergraduate student of Media Studies at Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel.



How often do you watch Nepali films?

Sandeep: I’m a movie buff and enjoy watching a lot of Nepali movies. Also, since the subject of my studies is related with the same, I enjoy watching the movies and making analyses on them.



Surakshya: If I hear people saying that a particular movie is worth a watch after they’ve seen it, I go for it. Otherwise I don’t. The promos also influence me a lot.



Smriti: I watch Nepali movies only if the promos are good and look decent enough.



Chhaya: I’m not much of a Nepali movie fan. But I do watch trailers of many Nepali films online.



Sambriddhi: I too don’t watch Nepali movies so often. I used to watch some when I was a kid, but I haven’t watched much in recent years.



Among the Nepali movies you’ve watched so far, which one did you like the most, and why?



Sandeep: I liked “Uma” very much. Though not completely flawless, the actors have done brilliant jobs. The story is original, and everything has been presented beautifully. I feel it’s a groundbreaking movie of the Nepali film industry.



Surakshya: I liked the movie “Kagbeni” a lot. The shooting was done at Kagbeni, a remote area of Nepal and the audience gets to learn so much about the place through the movie. The team has put in so much effort and Deeya Maskey and Saugat Malla have given really good performances.



Smriti: “Sano Sansar” is my favorite Nepali movie. I simply loved Karma’s acting in the film. Though heavily influenced by a Korean movie, Sano Sansar brought new changes in Nepali films. Namrata Shrestha has also performed equally well.



Chhaya: I enjoyed watching “Loot.” The movie was really entertaining and has promoted many actors.



Would you prefer watching a Nepali movie just because it casts one of your favorite actors?

Sandeep: It does, if a movie has Saugat Malla or Dayahang Rai in it. The familiar faces make you feel closer to them and excite you about what new they have on offer. However, I would appreciate it if the industry discovers and introduces new talents.





L to R: Sandeep Bhattarai, Smriti Pradhan, Sambriddhi Sharma, Chhaya Adhikary and Surakshya Parajuli. (Bhaswor Ojha/ Republica)





Smriti: I definitely prefer watching a movie that has my favorite actors. However, there are only a handful of Nepali actors whom I adore. For example, if a new movie has Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya, I would love to watch it as I’m sure they won’t let their audience down. Their acting is par excellence and the stories they work on are inspiring and meaningful.



How much important is music for you in a Nepali movie?

Surakshya: Music is important for a movie to catch the audience’s attention. However, the songs and background music should be relevant to the storyline.



Any suggestions for Nepali filmmakers?

Sandeep: Since the Nepali film industry is still in a growing stage, my expectation from it isn’t that high. However, rather than being focused just on advanced technology (what most movies these days are doing), filmmakers should strive to create good stories.



Surakshya: A lot depends on the actors’ performances and their onscreen personae. If they aren’t able to justify the roles they’re doing, the audience loses focus and the movie starts getting boring. Also, it’s high time for our filmmakers to be innovative about shooting locations. It’s always nice if we get to see new places through the movies. I’m sure it can also boost the tourism industry. Filmmakers should seriously consider this.



Chhaya: More than anything else, Nepali filmmakers should focus on producing decent movies – movies that a family can watch together. The movies should be made targeting audience of all ages. I also believe that actors should be trained in basic skills like dance, stunts, etc, so as to perform well.



Smriti: The movies should be original and creative. Copying others will only make the movies worse. Directly translating the titles, songs and even the story of Hollywood and Bollywood movies into Nepali will not help in any way.



Sambriddhi: Nepali movies should be entertaining and should carry certain social messages. Bringing in vulgarity to achieve commercial success won’t do any good.

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