S.K. who owns a CD and DVD shop along with his watch and clock business in China Town Shopping Center in Sundhara feels that the Nepali movie lovers are few in number.[break]
“Nepali movies usually come as CDs with a few like Sano Sansar and Kagbeni in DVDs. The CDs are available in the markets after some months or sometimes a year and later of its released date. Also there are complaints that the Nepali CDs lack video quality,” S.K. added.
“Nepali CDs and DVDs are exported to foreign countries like Dubai, Malaysia, and Qatar where Nepalis are working. Though we lack viewers here, I must say a part of Kollywood lovers is represented by jobholders in foreign lands,” he explained.
“Strict rules and regulation of piracy can be yet another reason for the lack of Nepali CDs,” said Manoj Shrestha, who owns a CD shop at Bhosikotol, New Road.
“When I sell around 4-5 Hindi CDs or DVDs eceryday, hardly 1 or 2 Nepali are sold. Whoever comes, they prefer English and Hindi, complaining that Nepali movies lack quality,” Shrestha added.
In contradiction to what S.K. claims, Sabin Dhakal, 19, a customer from Madhyapur Thimi argued that Nepali CDs have the quality but the storyline and presentation in the movies don’t which are the reasons why the market of Nepali CDs or DVDs are low.
Ashish Shrestha, owner of Juke Box Enterprise Centre, had the same story to tell.
“Nepali movies are available in CDs or DVDs after a year of its release date. By then, the craze would have already gone down sharply, or people who have been waiting for a particular movie must have seen in the theatres,” Ashish said.
Anil Shrestha, a CD and DVD seller at Maha Boudha, a destination for CD or DVD seekers, recalled the days around a year ago when he used to sell Nepali CDs or DVDs.
“I don’t sell Nepali movies nowadays. Firstly, because it’s expensive, and secondly, customers complain about the quality,” Anil said and added, “See, the cost of Nepali CDs or DVDs begins at Rs 100 but who’ll buy it when we get The Hurt Locker, the Oscar winner, at just Rs 25 or Rs 30.”
“With the number of arrests made by the police from the CD and DVD shops, I can say that there is piracy of Nepali CDs and DVDs. When a pirated CD or DVD is available for just Rs 30 or less, no one prefers to buy the original one costing more than Rs 100,” Pushkar KC, owner of KC Musical Shop in front of Nepal Dairy Shop in Maha Boudha said.
With the number of sales of comedy CDs and DVDs of MaHa (Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansa Acharya) and Meri Basai (a Nepali serial broadcast by Nepal TV every Saturday), KC said that the Nepali movie seekers are happy with those products rather than movies.
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