Earlier, to some extent even today, mainstream films have a century-old scripts and actors who sway the audience by merely putting up a good fight to rescue the heroine in distress and save the day by being cheesy and dancing to filmi tunes.[break]
But a shift in this monotonous scenario can be seen as new genres – art and fiction – of films seem to have been changing and challenging the old format, along with an upcoming generation of actors who want to learn acting rather than becoming stereotypical heroes.
Nepali audience is also becoming more responsive to such films than merely watching them.
These fresh actors, however, have a long journey ahead of them before being able to establish themselves as prominent actors.
They have to struggle in several aspects, such as income generation, overcoming family reluctance and the outlook of their own society, along with peer and industry competition.
For Ashok Rijal, 23, acting is a passion that was ignited by an inspiration.
“My dad is a businessman and social worker and he was greeted by hundreds people each day during our stay at Singapore. I was overwhelmed to see that, and since then, I wanted to do something that would earn me similar respect and fame.
Although I wanted to do further studies in travel and tourism, I often indulged in books related to filmmaking, direction and acting. And thus, I changed my career track and joined the Oscar College of Film Studies at Chabel in Kathmandu.
So far, Ashok has acted in a dozen films, has worked as assistant director and still cameraman and has been in the lead role in eight films. Some of his upcoming films are “Mango Pickle” by Ian Clement, and Nischal Basnet’s “Loot.”
Abhay Baral, 21, also belongs to a film-doting family, as his dad would often screen films to the troops while he worked in the Indian Army.
“Films were topics of discussion at home, and I would save my pocket money to watch them, both Hindi and Nepali movies. Even as child, I loved taking part in dance programs and dramas at school. I wanted to act from my childhood, and I’m dedicated to my passion.”
He has done about 24 short films and four theatre dramas. He will be seen in Rajan Rai’s feature film “Madan Bhandari, My Leader” next year.
The case is a bit different for Shanti Giri, 26. She starred in “Bhado” and Abhinash Bikram Shah’s highly talked-about film at the recent Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF 2011), “Ma Khushi Chhu.” Her interest in acting flourished through an opportunity given by her filmmaker friends.
“It’s been three years since I’ve been acting in short films and in theatre dramas as well. I’m a student of Environmental Studies and Sociology, yet I’ve been to several acting workshops and want to enhance my acting skills.”
One’s career in Nepali film industry is often viewed as a social threat or not meant for “people coming from good background” due to the hardships and scandals that are prevalent in film industry.
“Initially, convincing my parents was difficult because they were uncomfortable with my career choice. But when they saw my films, they accepted my decision. They’ve been supportive and are eager to understand films,” adds Ashok.
Shanti’s family, however, has not yet welcomed her acting career. “I’m still struggling to establish myself in order to convince them about my work.”
Income is another issue for beginners in Nepali films. Their earning is only enough for pocket expenses, but they are happy with it.
Ashok says, “We’re happy to have a platform to begin with and enhance ourselves and prepare us for feature films.”
“Our first priority is to learn, not to earn,” says Abhay. “Initially I was trying to pursue film studies abroad but I’m glad to be a student here, and at the same time have a good platform.”
For these youngsters, acting is primarily about self-satisfaction.
“I’m happy with the roles I played and I want to do versatile roles,” says Shanti.
Ashok opines, “To me, satisfaction matters and recently I did a role in Suraj Paudel’s film ‘Open Your Eyes before It’s Too Late” on HIV/AIDS and I was quite convinced by my work.”
All three – Ashok, Abhay and Shanti – maintain their image as struggling actors and have the desire to act as well as direct and explore more about films in the upcoming days. When asked if they want to work in mainstream films or foreign films, they responded unanimously:
“It’s not a matter of pride or we don’t mean to criticize mainstream filmmakers, but we don’t want to work in the kind of scripts that the current mainstream films have to offer. But if we’re satisfied with the roles and scripts, we’ll certainly look forward to it. So far, we’ve had encouraging responses from viewers.”
Nowadays, various short films are made on awareness issues that require bold actors. Therefore, in some ways, these actors are engaged in such advocacy, and not only in the form of entertainment, but also in terms of social movement.
However, it is sad that many people claim to be critics without any acquaintance with such actors or their films. This often demoralizes the young actors. Also, in many cases, those who have contacts or those who invest in the budget are given opportunities in films.
Able actors are available but they need to be exploited correctly. Fair auditions and positive motivation are just what these struggling actors need.
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