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The quintessential Nepali hero
It’s important to hear out people’s opinions, but when it comes down to it, it’s your own instincts that should count the most,” says Rajesh Hamal, veritable superstar of the Nepali film industry. At 49, Hamal has worked in films for more than two decades—and shows no sign of letting up. Besides having starred in more than 290 films over the years, beginning with the commercial success of his first venture Yug Dekhi Yug Samma in 1990, the actor is also known for his love of books, testified to by his Master’s degree in English literature. And as is understandable for someone of his renown, Hamal’s personal life has come under just as much scrutiny as his acting prowess, but the actor has remained extremely cautious about disclosing too much of what he calls “private matters.” Anup Ojha of the Post caught up with the star for an exclusive talk on his prolonged stay in the industry and his experiences as one of Nepal’s most prolific actors.
You’ve been an active part of the industry longer than most actors. What kind of significant changes in terms of trends have you observed over the years?
Since the time I joined the film fraternity, I don’t think there have been too many drastic changes in our movies till date. Films overseas generally go through very visible ‘trends’, but it’s not that obvious here in Nepal. Of course, that’s not to say we’ve been entirely stagnant—I think that’s impossible—and the one noticeable difference has been in terms of technology. The availability of new equipment and the expansion of digital possibilities have certainly made an impact. Again, we are definitely lagging behind when compared to what the same technical improvements have wrought in international cinema.
 | | Rajesh Hamal |
What do you think are the limitations the Nepali film industry suffers in getting movies to appeal to global audiences, compared to say Bollywood?
I don’t think we should be competing with other film industries. For one, we don’t have the capacity at present to make highly-technical and sophisticated films, the kind that you would expect to have a global pull—both in terms of economic restraints and lack of expertise. Besides which, I believe we have to first focus on our local appeal, and try to make quality films that are unique to the Nepali way of life and thinking. And if these happen to become internationally recognised, so be it. Trying to follow directly in the steps of developed countries, which have different cultural expectations to ours, doesn’t make sense. I think we should be thinking of pleasing our own audiences first, because that’s what matters the most. | | Rajesh Hamal |
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