Introduction:
The purpose of this term paper is to bring in front the fact of the silver screen industry of Nepal. Kollywood is the name given to this industry. Here I have tried to bind the data’s of film sector of Nepal. I am trying to show the present scenario of film industry, director’s actors producers etc. involved in this sector.
What is film?
According to Wikipedia the free encyclopedia “ Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating or indoctrinating citizens. The visual elements of cinema give motion pictures a universal power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using dubbing or subtitles that translate the dialogue.
Films are made up of a series of individual images called frames. When these images are shown rapidly in succession, a viewer has the illusion that motion is occurring. The viewer cannot see the flickering between frames due to an effect known as persistence of vision, whereby the eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed. Viewers perceive motion due to a psychological effect called beta movement. And according to answers .com movie is defined as A sequence of photographs projected onto a screen with sufficient rapidity as to create the illusion of motion and continuity.
What is film industry?
According to Wikipedia the free encyclopedia film industry can be defined as The making and showing of motion pictures where there are different sectors are involved like technology, money, people to operate the technology and the key factor the characters of the film. Film industry is a business where there is loss and profit also that is why there are billions of dollars investment in this particular field worldwide but in Nepal there is still some millions invested that is why it has hampered the quality of film.
Brief history of film industry in Nepal
In comparison to world film industry Nepal has its history of film making young and it was in 1880’s world got its motion picture with the invention of Kinetograph* and its viewing mechanism was called Kinetoscope.The world's first movie studio, the "Black Maria" was built under Dickson's direction in 1891-92 and many short films were made there, including "Buffalo Bill's Shooting Skill"," Sioux Ghost Dance”, “Boxing Cats", "The Sneeze", and "Cripple Creek Bar-room" (1899), the first "western". But in Nepal the first film was made in the year 1965 (2022 BS). Nearly a century was taken for Nepal to make its first film and it was “AAMA” produced by His Majesty Department of Information and the director to direct this movie was late “Heera Singh”. Though the first movie was produced in 1965 the first time movie projected in Nepal was in the year 1933(1990 BS) and it was in Singha Durbar Nachghar by Kunja Shamser Rana where he screened 4 Hindi and English movies. “AAMA” was also the first black and white film where late Shiva Shankar Manandhar & Actress Bhuwan Chand acted.untill the release of Film “KUMARI” there was no film in color print and was produced by RNFC (Royal Nepal Film Corporation) in 1977(2034 BS). The first film in Nepali language was “Satya Harish Chandra” directed by DB Pariyar in history of Nepal the first documentary was made in the year 2019BS in the occasion of “late King Mahindra’s 42nd birthday . In the year 2044 kartik Film named “SILU” of Nepal Bhasa was made under Prem production by Prem Bania and Laxmi Das Manandhar and actors were Madan Krishna Shrestha, Gopal Butane, Jay Shrestha, Haribamsa Acharya etc.and actress was Nabina shrestha.till the establishment of RNFC(Royal Nepal Film Corporation)2028BS there was no such government body working in film sector. It started its production by producing “MAN KO BANDH” and the director was Prakash Thapa in the year 2030BS. No film was able to go internationally until “SINDOOR” in the year 1980ADand was the first film in international film festival.
“MAITIGHAR” was the first film under the first private banner of Sunonanjali Films Private Limited by Dr Jogendra Jha and Gen. Nar Samser JBR and director BS Thapa with actors CP Lohani and Mala Sinha. There was no any film co produced before” KE GHAR KE DERA” under RNFC and Jay Ajima Films production Limited in 1985AD directed by Pradeep Rimal. The first film to celebrate its silver jubilee was “KUSUME RUMAL” with Tulsi Ghimire and Sumitra Poudel under the banner of Sayapatri Productions private limited. The first national film festival was organized in the year 2005AD and BANDAKI was the first film to win National Award Produced by Doctor Singh Gurung in category of Best film on National film festival. this is the short history of film sector in Nepal.
First time in NepalCategory Name
First Film show in Nepal | September,1933(1990 Bhadra 1)by Kunjar Samser Rana in Singha Durbar Nachghar screened 4 Hindi and englishfilm |
First film corporation | Royal Nepal Film Corporation(RNFC)November 2,1971(2028 kartik 16 BS) |
Establishment of FDB | 30June 2000(2057 Ashad 16 BS) |
First television(Established) | Nepal Television (2041 Magh17 Bs January 30 1985) |
First television (Broadcasted) | Nepal Television(2042 Poush 14 BS ) |
First film director | Late Heera Singh(Aama) |
First Heroine(Actress) | Bhuwan Chand(Aama) |
First Hero(Actor) | Late Shiva Shankar Manandhar(Aama) |
First camera man | Baikuntha Man Maskey |
First Sound Recordist | Sudan Karki |
First film editor | Tirtha lal Shrestha |
First Female Film Editor | Rakshya Singh Thakuri |
First Art Director | Tirtha Serchan |
Firsty still photography | Manju Kumar Shrestha |
First Fight Composer | Gopal Bhutani |
First song Recordist(s) | Tapanath Shukla, Pradeep Upadhya |
First Recording | Pradeep Upadhya |
First film producer(Private sector) | DR.Jogendra Jha &General Nar Samser JBR(Maitighar) |
First cinema hall | Kathmandu Cinema Ghar (Later Named as JanaSewa)2006 Mangsir 27 BS |
First Song Recording (on Film) | Badlindoo Aakash |
First Film Shot in Great Britain | Kasturi |
First Nepali film | Aama |
First B/W Film | Aama |
First color Film | Kumari |
First Documentary Film | King Mahendra’s 42nd birthday Anniversary(2019BS) |
First Nepalese Language film | Satya Harischandra |
First Newari film | Silu |
First film produced by RNFC | Man Ko Bandh |
First film on international film festival | Sindoor(1980) |
Film Produced in private banner | Maitighar (Sumonanjali films p Ltd) |
First co-produced film | Ke Ghar Ke Dera(RNFC&Jay Ajima Films p Ltd) |
First Silver jubilee Celebrated film | Kusume Rumal |
First national film festival | National Film Festival 2005 |
First national award winner film | Bandaki |
Status of film industry in Nepal
Nepalese film also had to bear a huge loss in the period of ten years of maoist insurgency the rapid growth of film industry was braked and nearly Neel during the insurgency period shooting spots were all centralized near valley areas where there was a bit security. During the starting phase of the insurgency some films which could power up the revolution of Maoists was made like “BALIDAN” and “AAGO” which were banned for the show in the halls around Nepal. But after the great peoples movement 2062/63 the case changed in the sector of Nepalese film sector also now slowly film making Is gaining its speed after peoples mass movement a new technology also has been introduced DIGITAL film making which has very broad area for most of the fields in editing, mixing, film release etc editing is a very tedious job in celluloid and is also a expensive process of film making. But in comparison to the traditional celluloid film digital process of film making is cheaper and easy to operate. The digital films produced are SANO SANSAR, KAGBENI, MERO YAUTA SATHI CHHA and remake of KUSUME RUMAL after the introduction of digital technology.
Digital technology is getting famous worldwide according to Tsering Rhither Sherpa a well known film maker and maker of film KARMA digital technology is a boon to the directors in country like Nepal where the raw materials for film making are very expensive. Directors now can experiment in their films they can take number of takes before a fine take can be chosen he says “The paperless office was a presumption that was widely believed at the beginning of the computer revolution, but that didn’t happen either. Many people say that with the emergence of digital film making will mean ‘The Death of Film ‘but it actually could be the” Birth of new art form, without being the death of an old one” (my views on directing digital film p.g103 Tsering Rhitar Sherpa) apart from these animated film are also taking market ‘The Search of Yeti’(एती को खोजी ) the yeti is created using animation software and is the first film in Nepal using this sort of technology for the first time.
Documentary films are also being made in numbers and are able to make their name in top documentary worldwide. According to Wikipedia Documentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a television series. Documentary, as it applies here, works to identify a "filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception" that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries.
Television serials are also being made in order to entertain the public and in the current situation political comedy serials are common in channels now a day’s more than half a dozen channels broadcast these sorts of serials daily which entertain the general public daily.
Economic status of film in Nepal
Record shows that the investment in the film sector is very low and the outcome is only the amount which is spent in the film making process. Normally the amount spent in making a film is as average to 30 lakhs and the trend of spending the amount is still traditional. The film makers are compelled to produce only 5 or 6 celluloid’s due to its cost in production. That is why the viewers have to wait long in order to see a movie. And film halls are limited also that is why it is problem in order to show country wise and has to wait long.
Story used in film
Still there is traditional love story used in film making process and pressure of bollywood is heavy in Nepalese film industry. Most of the film is copy paste from bollywood and now the trend of naming film is also totally from bollywood. This is hampering the quality of Nepalese film. That is why it is lacking the young generation viewers. This also has affected the profit of Nepalese film industry.
Characters
Still the characters are same who is still following the traditional film act and cannot give a proper film acting the viewers want. And the expressions are also not natural and realistic that is why the film though are made it don’t become popular as it has to be. It is considered to be a hit film if it is able to run 51 days.
Audience of Nepali film
Normally the audience of Nepali film are people who are illiterate and from rural areas. This is because they are poor and cannot afford the fee of ticket of Bollywood movies and Hollywood movies. And it is due to illiteracy that people do not view Bollywood movies and Hollywood movies. But the literate and young generation prefers Bollywood and Hollywood rather than Kollywood.
Halls used for the show
Halls used for show are still traditional which use the celluloid technology and the seating are still the carbon fiber seats which are uncomfortable to seat during the show this also hampers film for the income they make. There are 325 celluloid halls in our country and 53 high vision halls till 2065 jestha.
Current Nepali film trend
Jana Badi Chalachitra
In the current Nepalese film industry there is the trend of making public related film “Jana Badi Chalachitra” which are directly said to have link with the general public and are said to have include the sufferings of general public. Though the foundation was laid by the directors very early there were no such movies made after government banded the show of BALIDAN and AAGO which were made during the starting time of the Maoist conflict. But after the peace process started after peoples mass movement 2062/63 then that trend again started to accelerate and there are some more movies made in this sector like Janayudha Lalsalam etc
Apart from all these factors Nepali film has bear many ups and down and is slowly gaining the pace and in the present context nepali film also has started using the new technologies like digital, animation. Though Nepal has not developed its own 3d and 4d films there is also the facility to view it.
Worldwide Nepalese film also has maintained some reputation as a quality that is why they are also able to get nominated in Oscar film award and get reckoned in world film market, although no any awards are booked in any sector of film it is proud to have Nepalese film in world arena to compete with high budget and sophisticated technology film. The film which were nominated in Oscar are tabulated below with their description
CARAVAN
Length 104 min
Language Nepali
Nominated year 1999(72th academy award)
Director Eric Ville
Presenter Jack Perry
Production company Gaalate films (France to cinema, back films less production (Switzerland) Antelope (UK)
Casts Thinle Lhondup, Lhakpa Tsyancho, Gargen Caap Karma Tenjing, Neema lama
MUKUNDO
Length 105 min
Language Nepali
Nominated year 2000(73rd academy award)
Producer/director Tshering Rhitar Sherpa
Story Tshering Rhitar Sherpa Koseng Choten
Screen play Koseng Choten
Music Nyu Bajracharya
Presenter Jack Perry
Production house Mila production,NHK( Japan broadcasting corporation)
Cast Gauri Malla, Mithila Sharma, Ratan Subedi, Nirmal Pyakurel, Rama Thapaliya
MUNA MADAN
Length 108 min
Language Nepali
Nominated year 2000(73rd academy award)
Producer/director Gyanendra Deuja
Story Maha Kavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota
Screen play Ravi Ariyal
Presenter Navaraj Dhakal
Production house NBA movies, Nepal
Cast Deepak Tripathi, Usha Paudel, Suvedra Adhikary
BASAI
Length 109 min
Language Nepali
Nominated year 2006(79th academy award)
Producer/director Suvas Gajurel
Story/dialogue Lil Bahadur Chhetri
Screen plays Nayan Raj Pande
Music Nyu Bajracharya
Presenter Sudhir Paudel
Production house Makalu films
Cast Ganesh Upreti, Mithila Sharma, Mukunda Shrestha, Uttam Pradhan, Ranju Lamichhane, Mukunda Bastakoti, Ganesh Neupane, Bhim Bahadur Thapa
Though Nepalese films are made inside our country nowadays they use to made outside our country by NRN Living in India and they are tabulated below
S N | Movies | Production Year | Director | Country |
1 | Satya Harish Chandra | 2007 | DB Pariyar | India |
2 | Paral Ko Aago | 2034 | Pratap Subba | India |
3 | Basuri | 2037 | Tulsi Ghimire | India |
4 | Bachne Chahaneharu | 2038 | Pratap Subba | India |
5 | Jhoda | 2040 | Barun Kabashi | India |
6 | Samjhana | 2041 | Sambhu Pradhan | India |
7 | Kahi Ujalyo Kahi Aadharyo | 2041 | Pratap Subba | India |
8 | Masal | 2041 | Pratap Subba | India |
9 | Lauhre | 2044 | Tulsi Ghimire | India |
10 | Jar | 2035 | Bail San | India |
11 | Aarko Janma | 2041 | Anjan Das | India |
12 | Bhool | 2051 | Shyam Pradhan | India |
13 | EstaMitra | 2057 | Hari Siwakoti | America |
Nepali Films made away from Nepal Source Film development board
Till 2065 there has been issued 794 and 424 license has been issued for making celluloid and video movie respectively and they are tabulated below with yearly population.
SN | Fiscal Year | Celluloid Film | Video Film |
1 | From first to 050 | 151 | 114 |
2 | 050/051 | 24 | 19 |
3 | 051/052 | 29 | 11 |
4 | 052/053 | 26 | 12 |
5 | 053/054 | 27 | 6 |
6 | 054/055 | 45 | 6 |
7 | 055/056 | 59 | 1 |
8 | 056/057 | 69 | 0 |
9 | 057/058 | 59 | 2 |
10 | 058/059 | 59 | 6 |
11 | 059/060 | 48 | 4 |
12 | 060/061 | 25 | 12 |
13 | 061/062 | 28 | 28 |
14 | 062/063 | 39 | 48 |
15 | 063/064 | 61 | 84 |
16 | 064/065 | 45 | 71 |
Total | 794 | 424 |
Source Film development board
There are also film made with joint investment of Nepalese and non Nepalese and they are as follows
SN | Movies | Production year | Joint investors country |
1 | Jivan Jyoti | 2041 | Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh |
2 | Hami 1 Hau | 2042 | Nepal, Pakistan |
3 | Mamata | 2043 | Nepal, Pakistan |
4 | Prayaschit | 2043 | Nepal, Pakistan |
5 | Insaf | 2043 | Nepal, Pakistan |
6 | Abhiyan | 2043 | Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka |
7 | Mala | 2043 | Nepal, Bangladesh |
8 | Panchawoti | 2044 | Nepal India |
9 | Peepaldaada | 2038 | Nepal, Japan |
10 | Dharti ra Aakash | 2043 | Nepal, Pakistan |
11 | Tiger | 2043 | Nepal, Pakistan |
12 | Sahas | 2044 | Nepal, Pakistan |
13 | Sanyog | 2045 | Nepal, Pakistan |
14 | Pratisodh | 2045 | Nepal, Pakistan |
15 | Majbut | 2045 | Nepal, Pakistan |
Source Film development board Nepal
Most of the Nepalese films are made using our literary creations and they are as follows
Literary books | Writer | Film name | Director |
Kumara Shova | Bijay Malla | Kumari | Prem Basnet |
Parivartan | Janardan Sama | Paribartan | Heera Singh |
Paral ko aago | Guru Prasad Mainali | Paral ko aago | Pratap Subba |
Aarko janma | Prakash Kobid | Aarko janma | Anjan Das |
Nagad narayan | Bashu sashi | Lobhi papi | Yadav kharel |
Jhuma | Hiranya Bhojpure | Jhuma | Pradeep Upadhya |
Aantya dekhi suru | Kesabraj Pidali | Jibanrekha | Prakash thapa |
Sindur | Daulatbikram Bista | Sindur | Prakash Thapa |
Prempinda | Balkrishna Sama | Prempinda | Yadav Kharel |
Balidan | Modanath Prasit | Balidan | Tulsi Ghimire |
Sriswosthani puran | Sriswosthani | Yadav Kharel | |
Basanti | Diamond Shamser | Basanti | Nir Shah |
Muna madan | Laxmi Prasad Devkota | Munamadan | Gyanendra Deuja |
Bashai | LilBahadur Chhetri | Bashai | Suvas Gajurel |
Gauthali | DR bhola Rijal | Gauthali | Basanta Shrestha |
Aabiral bagdacha indrabati | Ramesh Bikal | Aabiral bagdacha indrabati | Badri Adhikari |
Katel sir ko chotpataka | DhurbaChandra Gautam | Basudev | Nir Shah |
Source Film Development Board
Conclusion
Film industry is the better platform to express and show the talent of and individual and a good medium to show country like ours which has beautiful geographical shapes and sizes. It is also a good medium of revenue to the government. Government should take effective efforts in order to make our film industry prosperous and wealthy. Government should provide subsidy in bringing new technology and should have to make effective mechanism to control the film sectors.
