National 11 (Spotlight Weekly)

Sordid Picture

With people hardly trickling into theaters, the Nepalese film industry is going through its worst crisis.

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

One of the first victims of the situation of insecurity in the country had been its entertainment industry. The film sector, which was booming impressively, has come crashing down after the imposition of the state of emergency.

As movements of people are restricted, film producers are finding it impossible to lure audiences to the theaters. "In this situation of insecurity and constant fear, the last thing on the people's mind is to see movie," said a theater-owner. Theaters are running virtually empty. In fact, night shows have been called off in most theaters.

A film theater : Where have the crowds gone?

The fact that most theaters, big and small alike, screened the World Cup football matches live to attract audiences speaks volumes about their plight. Such is the situation that a big number of blacks (who re-sell the tickets of films at a hefty price during house-full screenings) have now been rendered jobless. "Gone are the days when there used to be serpentine queues in front of the ticket counter whenever a new film was released," said Santosh Chalise, a regular movie watcher. Even the most popular cinema halls like Guna and Gopi Krishna now sport a deserted look. Hindi films, too, are running on empty theaters.

The situation outside the capital valley is no better. In places like Chitawan, Hetauda, Birgunj, Butwal, Birtamod, Nepalgunj and so on, the administration has restricted the movement of people especially at night. Consequently, people are staying away from film halls. These cities were proving to be quite a burgeoning market for Nepalese films in recent years.

From the production of Satya Harishchandra four decades ago, the Nepalese film industry had come a long way in establishing itself among the domestic audience. Even in the 1980s and early 90s, only four or five Nepalese films used to be produced annually. But in recent years, the volume of production had soared by leaps and bounds. In the last one year alone, around 70 films were released.

But none of the films has become a hit in almost one year. After the mega success of Tulsi Ghimire's Darpan Chhaya there has not been any big hit. Films like Yuvraj Lama's Muskan, Deshbhakta Khanal's Pijanda, Ugyen Chhopel's Badalparee† and Anish Koirala's Superstar had generated some hype but failed to make it big.

In recent months Akash Adhikari's Panchhee is doing above-average business. With an impressive star cast including Rajesh Hamal, Shiva Shrestha, Akash Adhikari, Puja Chand, Sharmila Malla and Karishma Manandhar and fine music, the film has made an impact even in these trying times. "In fact, theaters even opened night shows when screening Panchhee," said Adhikari.

But others are not that lucky. "The entire film industry is on the life-support system right now. There is a bleak scenario everywhere," said producer Shekhar Koirala.

"When the whole country is in a crisis, all sectors of life will be affected. Entertainment is no exception," said actor-cum-director Nir Shah, who has been recently appointed president of the Nepal Film Development Board. He hopes that the industry will bounce back once the current situation of insecurity is overcome.

The Nepalese film industry was battered just when it was beginning to take off. Films were not only expanding their domestic market but were also exploring the possibilities beyond the national frontiers. Many producers had started taking their films to places like Hong Kong, Gulf countries, USA and UK where there are sizeable Nepalese populations.

As things stand, producers are keeping their fingers crossed that better days are round the corner. They hope that herds of audiences will once again flock the theaters and push up their sagging morale. Trade analysts expect Tulsi Ghimire's latest venture Lahana, which is hitting the theaters soon, could break the jinx and announce the revival of the industry. But not all are sure.