Letters (Spotlight Weekly)

Sub-standard Cinema

The only reason for the near collapse of the Nepalese film industry is the lack of standard cinema (“Flop Show” SPOTLIGHT December 19). Most of the Nepalese films are low in quality, cheap copies of Indian films and poorly made. So, why should Nepalese audiences go to the theater to watch such movies by spending their hard-earned money. If the Nepalese film makers want to prosper, they will have to make films as per the demand and taste of the audiences.

Karna Gurung
Manbhawan

Bleak Picture

The cover story “Flop Show” (SPOTLIGHT, December 19) showed that the film industry has been virtually ruined in a short period of last two years. Only two years ago, the industry used to churn out over 50 films a year. Now it has shrunk by 80 percent. This is a colossal decline. I am not sure that the insecurity alone could have resulted in such a huge decline. When we see other sectors of economy coping well with the insecurity, there is no reason why film industry also cannot do the same. Perhaps there are other reasons behind the industry’s fall as well. Just look at how the Nepalese films are. There are hardly any film that are worth remembering. Except occasional hit films like Darpan Chhaya, the majority of Nepalese films are neither entertaining nor impressive. I want to recall here the days when families used to flock to the theaters to watch movies like Kusume Rumal and Samjhana in the past. The point is that if a good film is made, it will run successfully despite all kinds of odds. The artistes and professionals involved in the Nepalese film industry are not good at all. Had they been good, the industry would not have found itself in a crisis like this. At a time when other sectors of economy like trade, commerce, export, import, transportation, communication and so on are successfully coping with the situation of insecurity, there is no reason why film industry alone should perish. If the concerned persons give due attention to making good and nice films, the current pall of gloom over the industry will clear automatically. Besides, when people are feeling bad and low, good films will provide them with an escape. So the entertaining films have more market in present circumstances.

Bijaya Chalise
Ghattekula

Inspiration Is Good

I do not subscribe to the viewpoint that Nepalese films are cheap copies of Indian films and that this imitation is the sole reason for the debacle of the film industry here (“Flop Show” SPOTLIGHT December 19). Situated so close to India, which boasts of world’s largest film industry Bollywood, it would be ridiculous to expect that Nepalese films would not draw inspirations from there. Rather out-and-out imitations should be discouraged. Otherwise, seeking inspiration is a widely acknowledged practice. Even the films of Bollywood are found to have drawn inspiration from Hollywood and so on. In fact, Nepal shares a lot of common culture, values and traditions with India – particularly the northern India. As such, similarities in stories will be natural.

Fanindra Neupane
Old Baneshwore

Parallel Cinema

The success of films like Numa Fung has shown that there exists market for Nepalese parallel cinema or off-beat films (“Flop Show” SPOTLIGHT December 19).