Entertainment (Business Age)

Entertainment

Fate of Film Industry Plummets

By Ananta Wagle

Nepalese film stars are getting low royality due to the financial crunch felt by the Film Industry. On the one hand new films are least made and on the other hand ready ones are also not doing good business. Future of not only artists but also of the technicians are in stake as the Film Business face a massive slide after the "Royal Family massacre" in June last year. The upward swing seen in the field of the industry during 2053, made lots of artists talk in lakhs but the current situation is on the way to make them penniless.

The current hearth throb of the Nepalese film goers Dilip Rayamajhi started charging around 3 lakhs after his films "Jindagani" and "Darpan Chaya" proved to be a huge success at the box office. He started his career at Film Industry as a side dancer but his life as well as his career took a roller coaster ride as he became the busiest star. Now his life, again, seems to come back to ground and in order to cope with the current phase he not only has cut down his royality but also improved his behavior. But, still he does not have much films in hand. Dilip Rayamajhi, thus laments, "I became star in one night but now its becoming hard to maintain the stardom". Before, he used to charge 4 lakhs for providing bulk date of 45 days but now producers are reluctant in giving him mere one lakh.

Same is the story of Karishma Manandhar. She has come down of her standard rate of 3 lakhs to one lakh. In this condition she thinks it’s better not to work. Niruta Singh, Jal Shah, Bipana Thapa, Melina Manandhar also falls under same category. New comers are the one to face the worst time as they have entered the Film Industry when the harvest is done and the field is dry and cropless.

Rajesh Hamal, Bhuwan K.C, Shiva Shrestha and their contemporaries are still in better position because of their past earnings. Shambhujeet Banskota has slashed down his rate from 6 lakhs to one or one and half lakh. Singers who used to charge 5-6 thousands per song have come down to one to two thousands.

It has become a rare sight to see floor shootings. Popular producers are not making new movies. Producer of last year’s super hit "Darpan Chaya", Tulsi Ghimire has left his new venture "Lahana" and started directing tele films. Even Sambhu Pradhan is busy with his tele film "Purush". Market is not showing positive signal and therefore financers are exiling from the industry. Ashok Sharma, Yuvraj Lama, Neer Shah, Naresh Paudel and many others are busy attaining seminars.

If the situation continues to hunt the industry then the artists will have to look for some other medium to earn their bread and butter. Due to the State of Emergency in the country night shows are cancelled and crores of finance is, thus, sealed in a box. If no signal of improvement is seen in coming six months then around one dozen of Movie halls will collapse. Therefore, to save the industry of this catastrophe, film workers are planning to come up with several programs. This is the only silver lining seen in the big black cloud over the Film Industry.

Translated by Shailee