His supportive father encouraged him to take up film studies in College of Film Studies, the first college in Nepal to offer film studies run by Tribhuwan University.[break]
The college has indeed given the Nepali cinema industry the much needed boost in the form of Raj Ballav Koirala, Nischal Basnet and now comes Subash Koirala.
His favorite filmmaker’s being Anurag Kashyap and Steven Spielberg and having watched 2,500 films in his college years, the 28-year-old is down to earth, joyful and frank director of the much awaited Nepali film Apabad. Republica caught up with the director for a short tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
Apabad- your first venture?
Definitely it’s my first film. I haven’t made any short films earlier. Our college project did demand a 10 minute film which I made in order to graduate and thereafter, I got the opportunity to assist my senior in his film. Well that’s how I moved ahead, there wasn’t much struggle.
Connection between budget and good films.
Budget never defines a film. I believe that the budget of a film depends on the storyline. My film turned out to be a low-budget film because most of our colleagues in the film are beginners like me, so we helped each other out.
What is your concept of New Nepali Cinema?
Using DSLRs and having low budgets is not New Nepali Cinema. Many of my colleagues seem to be misguided in a wrong direction as they have been working on clichéd issues rising from slums or streets in order to make realistic films. Given that Loot was successful, many have been trying to capture audience based on similar stories.
Apabad in the international market.
Underground Talkies has been responsible for the online promotions of Apabad and they have screened the film successfully in Boston, New York and Australia to the Nepali community abroad. It will soon be screened in UK too. We kicked off with Apabad to test our own potentials and expect to be appreciated by the Nepali filmmakers but this overwhelming response is indeed gratifying and encouraging.
Apabad in Nepal?
Apabad is set to release in June 15 all over Nepal. Although we have targeted all age groups, it is believed to attract the youth mostly because it fits the social drama genre and the adventures of the protagonist that the story explores. Nepal doesn’t have an audience that watches films based on genres nor do they ponder upon whether why a particular group has been targeted by the film.
What impact can cinema have on a society?
I don’t think that cinema can change the society but it can definitely have some impact at a particular level. If cinemas were to change the society then, Aamir Khan’s Rang De Basanti would have made huge level of changes in Indian political system rather than evoke the youth population for a while.
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