Pages

Subscribe:

The Himalayan Times

Kantipur

Republica

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Teej Celebration at Pashupatinath (Photo Feature)


KATHMANDU: Thousands of women have thronged the Pashupatinath Area in the Capital on Saturday to mark the Teej festival.

Lining up in serpentine queues, many are waiting for their turn to enter the Temple and pay homage to Lord Shiva, while others are indulged in singing and dancing.


Water, water everywhere. But not a drop to drink!


A fainted woman being rescued.

A queue at Devapatan.

A medical team attending a fainted girl.

Let's dance!

Scouts volunteering at the main entrance of the Temple.

Red is the colour


A policewoman looks at the queue of devotees at Pashupati Aryaghat.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Dasdhunga: A handsome cinematic approach to reality



At Kumari Cinema Hall, it was a sight to see during the premiere of “Dasdhunga” on Thursday. For the first time in Nepali film history, people from all walks of life, including the political fraternity that included the likes of UCPN Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, vice chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, CPN-UML’s chairman Jhalanath Khanal, and RPP’s chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana attended the premiere of Dasdhunga – a film based on a real life story of the tragic death of the CPN-UML’s senior leader Madan Bhandari and Jibaraj Ashrit.

However, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari canceled their presence.

Produced by Apil Bista Films and directed and written by Manoj Pandit, Dasdhunga is a two-hour-ten-minute docu-fiction. Somewhere close to a biopic, Dasdhunga finally got clear over all the censorship hassles after the production team agreed to cut a few sequences from the film. Some big profiled names like KP Sharma Oli and Madhav Kumar Nepal were forced to be removed from the film for the Censor Board’s approval for screening.

Was Madan Bhandari and Jibaraj Ashrit’s death at Dasdhunga, Chitwan, an accident or was it conspired? Can we believe Amar Lama’s, Madan Bhandari’s driver at the time of the accident, take on the incident, or was he involved in the tragedy? If we are to go by all what Lama has said, he has always contradicted his statements during the investigations. But if we are not to agree with Lama, who is also no more, where can we find more evidences on this incident?



Director Pandit keeps dealing with such unanswered questions throughout the film through Anup Baral, who plays the role of an investigator. And the movie’s footages of Madan Bhandari’s speeches, his last rites and the sound bites of live witnesses of the Dasdhunga accident proves that the film crew has well-researched to make this docu-fiction a must-see.

Nimesh Shrestha’s editing and Purusottam Pradhan’s cinematography are something that Nepali silver screen has hardly explored before. The camera works are extremely neat and the sound editing compliments the plots and the screenplay. Actors Baral and Dayahang Rai (Amar Lama) do all justice to their characters while Sanchita Luitel and Saugat Malla have average performances.

The movie is beautifully documented as a historical story in the first half while progresses fictionally in the second. To shift the film from reality to a cinematic world, Pandit creatively introduces schizophrenia, a split-personality disease, and the dramatic elements that follow are highly captivating.

Though the movie repeats the same mysterious story of the incident and doesn’t draw a conclusion whether the accident of the two political leaders was a misfortune or a conspired plan, it definitely raises many unanswered questions and keeps the audiences intact with its screenplay.

“It’s not that this film is going to bring in some drastic change to Nepali film industry overnight. Nevertheless, this will certainly live up to its expectations – reminding the dark real story to the society, which chose to close its eyes since yesteryears,” actor Baral shared during the premiere. “Even if only two percent of the population of Nepal watches this cinema, it’s more than enough to make an impact.”

Source: http://theweek.myrepublica.com/details.php?news_id=22895

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Sadichha Shrestha clinches Miss Nepal crown

Sadichha Shrestha from Kathmandu was crowned Miss Nepal 2010 in a glittering ceremony Rastriya Nach Ghar in Kathmandu on Wednesday evening.


There were 18 finalists in the beauty pageant.

Shrestha won three other titles--Miss Photogenic, Miss Smart Walk and Miss Personaltiy--also.

She will represent Nepal in the Miss World 2010 to be held in Sanya, China.

She bagged a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a Chery QQ3 Car.

Sahana Bajracharya became the first runner-up and Sanyukta Timsina wont the second runner-up title.

The first runner-up will receive Rs 35,000 and 125 CC Mahindra Scooter, while the second runner-up will get Rs 25,000.


1st Runner-up: Sahana Bajracharya

2nd Runner-up: Sanyukta Timsina



Title-------------------Winners

Miss Photogenic: Sadichha Shrestha


Miss Beautiful Smile: Anita Acharya


Miss Smart Walk: Sadichha Shrestha


Miss Personality: Sadichha Shrestha


Miss Beautiful Complexion: Priya Rani Lama


Miss Friendship: Chandani Dewaju


Miss Talent: Pushpanjali KC


Miss Public Choice: Sanyukta Timsina

Drop you comments about Nepalipan.com