Resham Filili – A Wholesome Entertainer

Movie: Resham Filili

Director: Pranab Joshi

Starring: Vinay Shrestha, Kameshwor Chaurasiya, Karma, Menuka Pradhan, Sisheer Bangdel, Arun Regmi, Ashutosh Raj Shrestha, Laxmi Giri and more.

In my eyes: *** (out of 5)

First thing first, it’s all about entertainment! And this entertainment flick is wonderful, total paisa-wasool. Resham Filili literally makes the audience filili and how!

Resham Filili is the story of two friends, Resham and Hariya, who are common poor men residing in Kathmandu valley and struggling to achieve their goals. As its genre goes comedy, it has a grand package of humor and comic elements, stuffed with the appropriate emotions and sensitivity too. The hype song Jaalma had created for movie is justified, as the movie does not let you down; instead, it refreshes you, makes you laugh out loud and put a pleasing smile on your face.

Plot:

Hawaldaar Suntali - badly presented!

Photo courtesy: www.nepalifilm.net

Movie: Hawaldaar Suntali 

Director: Rishi Lamichhane

Starring: Shilpa Pokharel, Sabin Shrestha, Kishor Khatiwada

In my eyes: */5

Movie is based on real life events of Suntali Dhami, a police constable raped by senior officers inside police quarter on Dashain. However, we can hardly feel any sensitivity of the issue in movie. It ended as just an old-fashioned drama with heroine beating the hell out of villains and shouting out scripted lines.

Plot:

Nisha (Shilpa Pokharel) is a thief, who does so for raising few orphan girls whom she has adopted. She meets Suntali (Shilpa again), a police constable and Nisha’s lookalike, while she is left stabbed by goons.

Multiple Release and Cinema Halls out of Valley

When more than one film releases on a single day, it’s more likely that theaters out of valley (mofasal, as it is called) preferably screens typical mainstream formula movie. Chances are higher when there is Rekha Thapa, Aaryan Sigdel, Rajesh Hamal or Jeewan Luitel involved. That is why I could not watch Sadanga because the cinema hall screened Bhoolbhoolaiya, and recently Nai Nabhannu La 3, because Hawaldaar Suntali was being shown. It was my luck that Mala got a solo release.

I currently reside in Bhalubang, Dang due to my job, and here is one hall "Bhole Chalchitra Mandir", a medium sized old-aged single theater, which looks completely out of date. Screen lacks brightness and contrast, and there are hardly any absorbers, due to which sound is too noisy and unpleasant to ears. No digitalization! Ticket rate for balcony is only NRs. 70. What could it offer on that price, and what profit does it make as the regular number of audience is below 20 most of the times? Seats are covered with jute bags! Have a look at these inside photos. It smells very bad condition of hall and of movies.

(Photos were taken by me, to share about the condition of cinema halls outside valley)

Multiplexes with more than two screens are mostly in Kathmandu only. Only some other big cities like Narayanghat, Butwal, Hetauda, Pokhara. etc  have them outside valley. Majority of cinema halls in other districts are single theaters, which actually happen to be important market of Nepali movies. Such theaters are mostly old, and not digitalized. the point is it cannot justify the technical progress that Nepali film industry has achieved.

Coming to multiple release issue, often in news, it can be heard that formula movies get more number of screens than out-of-mainstream movies. By formula, I mean movies of Lajja, Himmatwali, Bhoolbhoolaiya, Hawaldaar Suntali, etc. kinds. (Rekha Thapa undoubtedly is the queen of such conventional cinemas. She knows how to make money. Next is Chhabiraaj Production.)

It is not so good for movies to get released in same day as it hampers the business, and thus the whole industry that actually is in necessity of uplifting and upgrading. However, in good angle, only good movies can come forward through the competition, which can be fruitful in terms of quality concern. There are some examples too such as both Kabaddi and November Rain were hits despite releasing on same date (Baisakh 11, 2071). Ditto is for Hawaldaar Suntali and Nai Nabhannu la 3. Now, again on Baisakh 11, 2072, two movies are releasing. One is most awaited and much hyped dark comedy Resham Filili, all credits to superhit awesome song Jaalma. Other is re-release: Jhola, absolutely brilliant movie based on Sati Pratha, superhit already on first release back on Magh, 2071. I wish both of them super success.

Case is even more complex when more than two, sometimes up to four or five, movies are released in a single Friday. Film producers, distributors, development boards must have a think about the issue, and the efficient measure shall be adopted. I’ve heard of box-office establishment for quite a long time now, but where is it? No transparency!

Supporting Nepali Cinema always.

Weak Script for Good Content - Few Nepali Movies

I argue if people tell that Nepali movies do not have a variety of subject matters or good stories because there was, there is and there will be, nice stories with varieties of contents. Nevertheless, I agree when people tell that Nepali movies do not comprise a convincing structure and effective screenplay. Leaving some exceptionally good ones, many Nepali films have the problem in the script.

I want to talk about some movies, which I felt had nice subject matter but failed in presenting them due to the weak screenplay.

1. Shree Paanch Ambare tried to raise the problem of street-children and their life. How they grow up, face the problems, struggle to survive but end up in the street itself due to the circumstances formed the basic storyline. But the way it was executed with very unconvincing and weak plot, unnecessary songs, loud background music ruined the otherwise nice subject. I was completely disappointed with this one. Talents of Saugat Malla and Keki Adhikari seemed wasted.