Nepali movies set to bring changes!

KATHMANDU, May 31: Forget about the films that have been released and failed making anything big in the box office. Nepali silver screen that has yet to make a long journey to carve its niche both locally and internationally now awaits half a dozen new films, which promise to make a difference and break the traditional filmmaking trends in Nepal. This time, it’s more new faces who are directing films.

They together enjoin that they will give something new to Nepali film industry and will hopefully succeed bringing those audiences to cinema halls who have been complaining often that Nepali films are typecast.[break]

While we are still following Bollywood’s 1970s trends in cinema making, these upcoming films are said to be different in terms of their presentation and style. Though story-wise, Nepali films still have to begin from scratch, it cannot be denied that filmmakers in Nepal are trying their best to become tech-savvy, and are adapting new technologies while making cinemas.

Bhusan Dahal’s “Kagbeni” started a new style of making a film and Alok Nembang’s “Sano Sansar” popularized the digital technology. When hardly anyone in the industry thought they could go beyond shooting cinemas in 16mm format, these two cinemas got many filmmakers attracted to digital technology. In the meantime, some others understood that it was high time for them to go for 35mm projection.

The upcoming films promise to quit the legacy of traditional filmmaking.

Gopi Krishna Movies’ “The Flash Back” will release in three months. Shot in 35mm, the film features Aryan Sigdel, Nikhil Uprety, Yuna Uprety, Zenisha KC, and Nita. At the direction of Dayaram Dahal, the movie is cinematographed by Raju Thapa. Producer of the film Nirak Poudel says that the whole packaging of the film is what makes this film a must-see.

Newly married actress Richa Ghimire is equally headed to produce better cinemas than the ones that she has worked in so far. Ghimire owns her own house – Rocha Production – and is producing two films.. “Beeratako Chino” is directed and presented by Ghimire’s husband Shankar Ghimire.

Starring Biraj Bhatta, Suman Singh, Richa Ghimire, Ranjana Sharma, and Kalyan Ghimire, “Beeratako Chino” is said to be a film with different presentation, and shot in 16mm. Nevertheless, it’s the music composition, says Richa, which is the X-factor of the film.

Another much awaited Nepali cinema to be released soon by Rocha Production is “Tulasi”. It is also directed by Shankar. Story-wise, Tulasi has nothing exceptional to offer. It’s a love story between a husband and wife. But what’s not to be missed in this film is the music composed by the veteran Ranjit Gajmer. Gajmer, who has had been quiet for sometime, is making his comeback to celluloid through Tulasi. Tulasi can also be regarded as one of the high budget Nepali films of recent times. Roch Production is investing eight million Rupees in this film.

This year will be a big challenge for Suresh Darpan, a film journalist turned filmmaker. Darpan has already completed shooting his first film “Kaslai Diyun Yo Joban” (KDYJ), which features Nikhil Uprety, Dilip Rayamajhi, Melina Manandhar, Suraj RD, and Jharana Thapa. A comedy-based film, KDYJ will release next month. Made in digital format though, KDYJ is produced in less than four million Rupees, and its trailers have brought up many expectations from the film. For the first time, Nikhil Uprety and Dilip Rayamajhi are portrayed differently in Nepali cinema.

Darpan’s is also ready with “Bhool Bhaye Maaf Gara” (BBMG), a family drama which releases on mid-August. Both KDYJ and BBMG are digital films. The entire shooting of BBMG was done in Pokhara, and Darpan claims that audiences will get to see the rich cinematography that they have never seen before in Nepali films.

After Prabhu SJB Rana’s “Mero Euta Saathi Chha”, a ten-million-Rupee budget film, Darpan has taken the risk once again by directing “Miss U”, a production of Dilip Rayamajhi worth ten million Rupees. Darpan is highly positive on this film as he believes that “Miss U” will create new opportunities for him in Nepali films.

Not to miss is Alok Nembang’s upcoming film “Kohi Mero.” With promising actors like Aryan Sigdel, Jharana Bajracharya, and Sanchita Luitel, “Kohi Mero” is much awaited among the younger crowds of Kathmandu. Though director Nembang promises nothing extraordinarily big from the film, it is sure that Kohi Mero’s presentation will be worth looking at.