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my job, and here is one hall "Bhole Chalchitra Mandir", a medium sized old-aged single theater, which looks completely out of date.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.

Mala - A suffered soul

Movie: Mala

Director: Sudeep Bhupal Singh ‘Bobbie’

Starring: Priyanka Karki, Aryan Sigdel, Prajwal Sujal Giri, Sumina Ghimire and more

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

From the very start, Mala has the feel of the horror movie and it maintains the scary atmosphere throughout the film, however, it is less horror and less thrilling compared to its suspense element. Now, we are not watching the full-fledged horror movie to comment about the horror and thrill magnitude. There are few other horror or suspense thrillers in Nepali movies and somehow they all look same in the setting. But, Mala is a bit different and more than just an average flick; it triggers a serious issue in the unique way of storytelling, thus making it a decent watch.

Plot:

Mala (Priyanka Karki) in a white blouse and white sari with long free hair and sad dark face gets into the woods to hang herself from a tree.

Raghav - Decent Storytelling

Raghav is basically a story of a student studying abroad and his relationships. It is a tale of how one suffers under different circumstances in life to finally realize the true essence of it. Set in America, this movie

has tried to project the complications on screen that one has to face whilst studying in foreign land such as long distance relationships, family pressures, friends, university and jobs during study period, eagerness for green card, etc.

The main thing I loved about this movie is its screenplay that is very close to reality, and

30 Days in September - Intensely Brilliant

By the time, you are done with the play; you will find some sort of shake in your brain. This terrific play will crawl into your mind and reawakens the bitter truths that can be found around in the same society we live in. Directed by Anup Baral, this play by Indian playwright Mahesh Dattani is adapted into Nepali by Aashant Sharma and Bal Bahadur Thapa.

It deals with the post traumatic stress disorder that Mala is suffering from because of the sexual abuse which she got by her own mama (uncle) during her vacation in September when she was 7 years old. Abuse continued every year and by when she was 13, she was used to it, moreover, she was willing to have sex more. This effect haunts her still at her thirty, society labeling her as characterless woman. Mala confronts her mother for why she did not prevent her from abuse but her mother always tells to forget the pain and prays to God, despite knowing the reality that Mala has faced. Deepak enters their life, and

Mala Limbu looks like Sofia Vergara!

I came across the photos of Mala Limbu from her debut movie One Way premiere. She looks smoking hot in that red outfit, no doubts! Oh wait, I then noticed something. My eyes are telling me that the new actress in K-town pretty much resembles the very famous actress Sofia Vergara, whom I know as Gloria, with her famous Colombian accent, from TV series Modern Family. Look at these women with killer-looks. Red-hot! What do you think?

Mala Limbu (Left) and Sofia Vergara (Right)
Photo Courtesy: www.bishalchautari.com and www.huffingtonpost.ca

Suntali – Fresh and Beautiful

Suntali's poster (courtesy: www.suntali.com)

Movie: Suntali

Director: Bhaskar Dhungana

Starring: Priyanka Karki, Suryamala      Khanal, Karma, Arpan Thapa, Pramod  Agrahari, Rajkumar Pudasaini, Bipin Karki

Rating: *** (out of 5 stars)

One word that sums up all the beautiful features of Suntali is “fresh”, ‘fresh’ in terms of location, storyline, presentation, music, cinematography and performances.

Plot:

Suntali (Priyanka Karki), as an unexpected guest, with an unknown minacious man Bajrang (Pramod Agrahari) returns to the village at the time of engagement of Sundar (Karma), son of Chinmaya Subedarni (Suryamala Khanal) who is the powerful matriarch of beautiful village.

Shamitabh - Ego Clash

Movie: Shamitabh

image source: bollywoodhungama.com

Director: R Balki

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush, Akshara Haasan

For me: **1/2 (out of 5 stars)

In one scene of the movie, Dhanush tells the media that it can even create hatred between one person’s face and his voice. Same is the major and basic plot of Shamitabh - face vs voice. Shamitabh is the story of a dumb man aspiring to be an actor and his life, from his childhood to his journey towards stardom to his rise and fall. It is the tale of how human ego arises on the surface creating conflict between two people and how it ruins each other.

Plot:

Daanish (Dhanush), a young dumb man, comes to Mumbai after his mother’s death, to pursue his dream of being actor. After some juggling between here and there in film studios and hiding in one vanity van, which he terms ‘five-star hotel’, he meets Akshara (Akshara Haasan), an assistant director.

Sambodhan - addressing corruption

source: https://www.facebook.com/NepaliMoviePosters

Movie: Sambodhan

Director: Hemraj BC

Starring: Dayahang Rai, Namrata Shrestha, Prashant Tamrakar, Binaya Bhatta

In My Eyes: ** (out of 5 stars)

Oh yes, corruption is indeed the most challenging problem of Nepal in present scenario. Movie Sambodhan tells the fact that corruption lies somewhere within each one of us and in many daily doings, so the change must start from ourselves to eradicate corruption from its roots.

Plot:

Ramji Gole (Dayahang Rai), senior inspector is leading an investigative case of serial murder, which has taken place in a very similar manner – coins scattered over dead body.