Nepali Youth on YouTube

Check this article on Kantipur Newspaper in Nepal which was printed on Friday 30th October 2009. NepUnity, Natasha Shah, Blue Sky Rai, lexlimbu and an Animation Studio from Nepal have been mentioned. Not only have they interviewed few of the popular Nepali names on youtube but they've also given a short background intro on how YouTube started and how it continues to provide a platform for youngsters with talent.

Those are just a few names out of the many talented Nepalese on YouTube.

The Beauty of Nepal

Most people may deem Nepal to be dirty, polluted, uncivilised, a nation with no structure or balance. However, amidst all the chaos there lies a nation of natural beauty. A nation which does not need tall sky scrapers to make people gasp, a nation which does not need modern day facilities, a nation which is still far behind yet industrialising rapidly. Kathmandu maybe enjoyed by some and detested by others but the real beauty lies in the hills and southern plains of the country.

Writing about the experiences Ive witnessed will more or less fail to capture your imagination however if i had the power to transfer my memory to you then you aswell would be awe-struck by the beauty that lies far away. Going to the hills where there was minimal electricity, water and sanitation facilities is definitely a daunting experience yet the surroundings and atmosphere of the societies which populate the area will make every moment worthwhile. Thousands of images were captured on my camera, a trademark camera known to be used by a large majority of Japanese tourists. Nonetheless, even the camera has failed to capture the true essence of Nepal. In reality, the grass is so much greener, the mud is highly rich in colour and the smiles on the peoples faces glistened with pride.

Being in Nepal not only fascinated me yet it also emphasised my purpose of being in the UK. My sole aim is to better myself, achieve more and take it back home one day. The nation is crying desperately for people to help. Whether this will be by frequent visits, volunteering or working, it is in our hands; the Nepal lovers and the Nepalese.

lex limbu

Kusume Rumal - Movie Review

Nirak Poudel’s Kusume Rumal -- a sequel to his father Uddhab Poudel’s original Kusume Rumal released more than a decade ago -- is a love story that ends in a tragic note. The earlier version of Kusume Rumal had Tripti Nadekar, Udit Narayan Jha, Bhuwan KC and Neer Shah in the lead roles. In its sequel, Tripti still mesmerizes the audience while Neer Shah has played a guest appearance. Meanwhile, Bhuwan KC was happy to be among the audience, while Udit Narayan Jha is obviously too busy in Bollywood to act in Nepali film today.

To come to a conclusion whether Nirak Poudel’s sequel is a family entertainer is a difficult job. And the reason is that the flick is replete with takes that would rather qualify for an adult audience. The dialogues, which at times get a bit too bawdy, should have been avoided or not vocalized to such an extent. In that case, the sequel of Kusume Rumal should be recommended in the category of “PG – 12 (Parental Guidance – under 12 restricted).”

Talking about the story and screenplay, scriptwriter Pradip Bhardwaj seems to have been heavily influenced by the Hollywood movie “A Walk to Remember”. The first few minutes into the flick and the climax appear strikingly similar.

[LIGHT - SPOILER AHEAD]

The movie unfolds with Gina (Usha Rajak) narrating the entire story with Sohan (Niraj Baral) sitting quietly in the background. Sohan and Gina are best friends at college. With a cool stud attitude in his college, Sohan is a favorite of many and Gina is attracted to her. Kusum (Ruby Bhattarai) is a neighbor of Sohan and studies in the same college. The bespectacled Kusum with long hairs prefers to live a low key life and dresses up traditionally. That is why many do not want to befriend her. But Sohan had always been looking for someone like Kusum to spend his entire life with. He befriends her and both fall in love, while Gina’s love for Sohan remains unrequited. She leaves for abroad while Sohan and Kusum tie the knot. Everything’s hunky-dory till the two meet an accident immediately following their honeymoon. That’s all for the story as I wouldn’t want to play spoilsport for those who are planning to turn up at the turnstiles.

Kusume Rumal compels you to recall many instances from Bollywood blockbusters like “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Kal Ho Na Ho.” The movie needs a special mention for one thing though. It’s in the same league of movies directed by Yash Chopra and David Dhawan in terms of direction. Moreover, Niraj Baral’s debut cast surely will get him more directorial offers in the times to come. However, that would only be possible if Baral plans to return from Australia. Sad that he even missed the premiere of his first movie.

Newcomer actress Ruby Bhattarai steals the show, while Usha Rajak boasts of a fine screen presence. All the soundtracks composed by Souryajeet Baskota are bonus to the movie and Aditya Narayan Jha’s voice in the title track stands out. It is one more time a fresh feel to listen Sugam Pokharel and Nima Rumba. The cinematography in 35 mm cinemascope is brilliant and Kabi Raj and Pooja Gurung’s choreography is worth a mention. All in all, Kusume Rumal offers a breezy entertainment. Let’s also keep our fingers crossed till Poudel’s upcoming movie “Assassination of Royal Nepal Family hits the marquee.

DJ Tantrik - Namrata Issue

Firstly, Im not a huge fan of Namrata Shrestha. I just appreciated her work and shes a decent model for Nepal. People create society, if we as a society learn to get over these things and move on then we can overcome such problems such as these more easily so people in the future who encounter such problems do not have to go through a huge ordeal.

After hearing about the scandal I felt for her career and how it may affect it. She is a promising actress, I think if given the opportunity she can be really great in the future judging by Sano Sansar. Even in her music videos she looked very elegant and beautiful. What happened in the whole thing is up to them and its their problem but I just think it'll be petty if this ruins both of their careers. However its very likely that she may get dogged down by this for a long time. Yet she should learn from people of the past such as Shrisha Karki and turn this around as I think she could really continue with what shes doing. Her on-screen prescense in interviews are great see (Glamour Guff on KTV). I hope she turns things around and appears on more tv ads, movies, videos and comes on top of this whole issue.

The Limbuwan Issue

Limbuwan was a Kingdom which had ten states before Nepal was formed.
After the unification of Nepal, there was a Limbuwan-Gorkha treaty.
After many years of peaceful life, Limbuwan has now various members who seek to claim back their land and are also demanding for rights. The Limbuwan group has quickly gained a lot of power in a short amount of time, they have been successful in carrying out various blockades in the Eastern Nepal. There have been many discussions with the government to settle the issue however they still havent found any solution.
*Failure to solve this problem may lead to violence between the Limbuwan and Madhesi front. Morang is being fought for by both of these groups.

Most of the people in the hill villages are very swayed by influence hence Limbuwans popularity. Households have come into conflict due to different peoples choices. Young teenagers are fighting for Limbuwan without knowing the cause, people want to seek for the ultimate position without doing the hardwork. This is where the country has been failed, the elders have given the wrong notion that one can use their power to reach a higher place. Limbuwan hoardings, writings, list of demands, can be seen everywhere in the Limbuwan region. Even in the buses there are placards which read 'Limbuwan Kranti'. Is this necessary? Is this what the 'Naya Nepal' is about?

There are also threats that whoever does not abide by their rules will get punishment. Now where is the freedom of speech?

Mero Euta Saathi Cha - Movie Review

Mero Euta Saathi Chha (Romantic-drama)
Cast: Namrata Shrestha, Aryan Sigdel, Jiwan Luitel, Ashok Sharma, Zenisha Moktan, Sushma Karki
Director: Sudarshan Thapa
Being screened at theatres near you Mero Euta Saathi Chha begins with a young guy from an affluent family -Jai (Aryan Sigdel) who lives life on his own terms, does things as he pleases, but yet is good at heart. Then there is an innocent young girl -- Shikha (Namrata Shrestha) in a village waiting for her childhood friend. What they both share is that when it rains they love to dance remembering the steps they did during their childhood with their closest friend.
As Jai turns 21 and is all excited that he will be inheriting his ancestral property, he gets a rather rude shock when he finds out that there are some pre-conditions he must meet to inherit this property. So, to fulfil them he goes back to the village where he spent his childhood and accidentally meets Shikha again.Then a change comes in him and the story that follows shows the revelations that will change their lives forever.
Shrestha is not just pleasing to watch but proves herself as a competent actor. The best thing about her is that she does not overdo the emotional scenes -she is subtle. Sigdel is as good as expected, but there are a few scenes which seem to be a bit too over dramatic. Jiwan Luitel has given a commendable performance. Among the newcomers Sushma Karki with a pretty face and vivaciousness is the most noticeable, while Zenisha Moktan could have done a better job. However, it's the talented Daya Hang Rai who steals the show every time he is on screen.
Debutant director Sudarshan Thapa has come up with an interesting movie to watch. The sequences flow smoothly. The cinematography by Rajesh Shrestha is superb capturing the scenic beauty at precise moments. It did seem that a few fight scenes could have been left out and that the movie had just focused on the emotional aspect.
Another admirable aspect of the movie is the music and background score. Sugam Pokhrel and Bipin Acharya have delivered some really good numbers. The background score by Tsujil Karmacharya heightens the beauty of the scenes.
However, in this movie one can find traces of various Bollywood, Hollywood and Korean films as the story flows. The movie does seem to have been stretched more than necessary making it a bit too tedious. The biggest drawback of the movie is that it has its dose of typical Bollywood movie scenes that especially reminds one of the 80's and early 90's of Bollywood.Along with that it has some really clichéd dialogues which makes it fall flat, failing to create an impact as promised or creating something that is totally different and new.

UPDATE: The review is taken from The Himalayan Times

Nepal Tourism Year 2011 - Will it Be a Success?

'Nepal Tourism Year 2011' is geared to become the biggest thing to happen for the tourism industry in Nepal after 'Visit Nepal 98', however unlike the previous campaign the upcoming one has a strong aim to achieve. That is to bring in 1 Million tourists in the selected year. The Government is upbeat in making this campaign successful and has already launched press-meets, introduction nights in various countries abroad. The ever-changing governments of Nepal seem to have good ideas yet they never manage to actually implement their ideas and carry their duties out.

To make Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a success, the government needs to start from Nepal itself instead of advertising abroad. The government needs to upgrade the facilities provided in Nepal since maintenance does not seem like its in their to-do list at all. Tribuvan International Airport should be a good starting off point, to handle 1 Million passengers it would be appropriate to upgrade the airport by converting the current system to a western approach by introducing computers. Better signage at the airport is a must, also the current staff ranging from the high officials to the cleaners should all be re-trained since theyre customer service skills lack in every department. This not only goes for the airport staff but for most workers in Nepal. There's hardly any 'Thank You' and 'Welcome'.

15. Thats the number of months left till 2011. It is almost certain that there will probably be atleast 2-3 Prime Minister changes in Nepal during that time. Whatever happens, the government must realise they must act accordingly since a political fiasco or another Jana-Andolan will be a major disadvantage to tourism and economy in Nepal. On the other hand the government must work hard to minimise the effect of small minority groups such as Limbuwan, Tamuwan etc since they have quickly captured the power of their states. The minister of tourism and civil aviation should make it a priority to increase and update the infrastructure in Nepal, this maybe by redoing the old bridges or repairing old roads again. Road access to far-flung areas are a must since these may open up new trekking routes.

Information Centre's should be set up in various hotspots around Kathmandu and Pokhara. They should work in a timely manner and provide reliable information to the tourists, however leaving this to the governments hand would probably never work out since most of the actions they undertake fail to finalize. Private companies should take up these approach since theyll be able to carry this out and also maintain it for the long haul. Speaking of long haul, Kathmandu needs to be a more accessible destination. This can be done by linking the only airport to more European and Asian hubs.

These are a few from a list of many things to be done in Nepal.

Kusume Rumal Trailer

The long awaited movie 'Kusume Rumal' has finally released the first of many promotional trailer. The movie has been marketed online capitalising on social networking sites such as Facebook. Kusume Rumal which is a sequel to the movie of the same title is expected hit the theatres by Dashain.
Hopefully the audience will appreciate the work of debut director Nirak Poudel.

Happy New Year 2066

Just a quick post to say Happy Nepalese New Year 2066. One question, does anyone know when the Nepalese New Year started from? like...in the West its after Jesus was born or his death.. so what bout nepalese year?

A performance which we did ...celebrating culture

The Narayanhity Issue

So Various changes have took place in Nepal from the MAOIST led govnt. Many of them have been a good step towards the future for nepalese and many others have left a question mark. Some are the money being spent on various projects including a memorial wall in Kathmandus existing Narayhity palace.

Job Talk.

Essence of Women

Although this post is a few weeks late however recently it was the International Womans Day. The Himalayan Times had asked couple of key male figures in Nepal regarding who they find a Complete Woman, Miss 10, Sexy, Beauty with Brains and Overrated. Here are some interesting ones :
Prasan Syangden (RJ) Sexy: Jharana Bajracharya Dusky skin, amazing looks and at the same time she is smart. She definitely fits my definition of a sexy woman. Being sexy is not only about the physicality but also about the way you carry yourself and Jharana does that very well. Nima Rumba (Singer) Beauty with Brains : Malvika Subba, Usha Khadgi and Jharana Bajracharya I know them all on a personal level and they are not just about beauty for they can carry an intellectual conversation with ease. Yogeshwor Amatya (Singer) Complete Woman: Anuradha Koirala She is the one woman who has gone out of her way to do much for women.Whta she has achieved is no easy task and I am very much impressed by what she is doing. Alok Nembang (Director) Sexy: Jharana Bajracharya There is this fire in her. Off screen, she is just this simple girl next door but screen she has this appeal that many dont have. She has the gift to set the screen on fire. Vinay Shrestha (Actor) Overrated: Rekha Thapa I think she is unnecessarily hyped and tries to be perfect 10 on 10.

Purano Prem - Burning up YouTube

This song has been listened to by many Nepalis already and this is Purano Prem sung by Santosh Sitaula, Spaz, Mr KC and NG-B. What it was missing was a nepali video. This still isnt the official video yet Ive included clips of other videos from Jharana Bajracharya to make one. Please watch it as its a very wonderful piece.

Movies in Minutes - Gorey Gurung film

Lax came over for the weekend and because shes always full of ideas etc, we thought of sumthing exciting to do there and then. To make this took more than an hour and the process of doing this was more funny then the end product however Id like to share this video courtesy of NepUnity and please rate and comment if you have a YouTube account. Please take it lightly as its not for serious veiwing and this is a spoof from the original Bideshko Mato Swadeshko Pida movie by Gorey Gurung ex'GRU soldier.(I THINK).

Below is the TRAILER

Buddha was born in Nepal

I havent watched this movie, I am sure its brillian however I have heard that theyve mentioned India as being the birthplace of Buddha.
Watching a video of Nikhil Advani on indiafm.com attempting to justify himself didnt help as he mentioned that Lumbini was in India in 18 something, this may be true however when is the movie set?
It doesnt look like the movies set in 1820's or something so why not update ourselves and speak of now'
which would mean .. the alteration to Buddha was born in Nepal
Its the young children who will be wrongly educated about this matter. The movie has been banned in India, which is a pity as im sure that Warner Bros etc are losing a lot of money.

Secondly, why are we Nepalese getting psyched up about issues such as these whilst we turn deaf ears when India consistently encroaches the Nepalese border. So far figures stand aroung 47,000 sq km which is believed to have been taken by India. Nepal and India needs to strongly review that Sugauli treaty because its high time that rivers shouldnt be used as a border.
Rivers change courses, erode, and you know' a whole lotta crazy things.

Giving

Just read that Yeti Airlines handed over cheques worth NRS 232 467 each to four different organisations, TEWA, OCCED, Sewa Kendra Leprosy Relief and Nepal Glaucoma Eyeclinic Relief on Wednesday. A sum of 4 rupees from each air ticket sold.

Good Deed indeed, come on rest of the other airlines' :D