Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Small Is Beautiful

At a time when Nepali film industry has been passing through a very critical phase, small screen is busy to develop more tele-serials. From prominent director Yadav Kharel to new producer and singer, Prakash Ojha is trying to capture the entertainment market through the Television. Thanks to the opening up of four private television channels, the demands for the television serials have gone up. There is stiff competition between three private television channels including the Metro of Nepal Television to grab the market. In the last one-year, around a hundred serials have already been produced for different television channels. Irrespective of the decline in the big screen market, tele serial producers do not have any time to rest.

Use Of Leisure

What is wrong in utilizing leisure time to venture away from one’s own field when there is a demand there? In recent years, world’s renowned celebrities have found it quite lucrative to sign deals for advertisement of products. When the global hotshots are doing so, it was not out of place to find our own Rajesh Hamal, Nepal’s prominent film actor, following the suit. He seems to be using his leisure time well by appearing in advertisements as well as in quiz programs in television. If the cinema industry had been doing well, Hamal would not have found time to play in such short advertisements. But the situation has changed now. When prominent Bollywood actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan are making money by appearing in television ads, Hamal’s move does not seem anything new.

Nepal’s Somersault

The CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal is known for his political histrionics. In the last twelve years, Nepal, after having committed his share of damages to the multi-party democracy and political stability, is still regarded as a strong and powerful leader. Although Nepal has made effort at every opportunity to weaken Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala in the period, he does not harbor any second thoughts before shaking hands with the same Koirala again to dislodge Thapa’s government. Koirala - once the bitter rival of Nepal - is now his favorite Guru. In Nepalese politics, one cannot predict what is going to happen next as one can see many impossible things turning possible.

Lone Walker

Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel is a man with no permanent friend. Twelve years ago, Poudel was regarded as a prominent second-generation leader and one of the members of the troika along with Shailaja Acharya and Sher Bahadur Deuba after G.P. Koirala and K.P. Bhattarai in Nepali Congress. Since Acharya’s role is ignored and Deuba is leading another faction of Congress, Poudel seems to be the lone leader in the party able to replace Koirala. However, despite his active role, Poudel is gradually vanishing from the mainstream of the party. As the party’s general secretary Sushil Koirala does not want to see Poudel roaming around Koirala, it seems that there is no one to defend Poudel.

Every Leader Has His Day

Ignored and boycotted for a year, Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has finally started receiving invitations from the five agitating political parties. Unlike previous times, former prime minister Deuba has put certain conditions before the agitating leaders. His demand is simple and clear. As long as agitating parties do not support the demand for the reinstatement of his government, he will not join their bandwagon. Although ten leftist factions have already given green signal to join the joint movement, Deuba is yet to come up with his own proposal.