The general Nepali public in the new millennium watch video
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The elevated socio-political consciousness of the general Nepali public in the new millennium. That factor, combined with an unprecedented exposure to and exchange with societies in south Asia and Western countries, has directly impacted various art forms. There are a handful of examples in the film industry as well. The noteworthy 2008 release Kagbeni, Khagendra Lamichhane’s heartfelt Talakjung vs Tulke, Min Bahadur Bham’s fresh treatment of Kali Pothi and Deepak Rauniyar’s Highway and White Sun (which recently premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival) are some examples of filmmakers engaging more deeply with unique subject matter and innovative techniques.
These genuine artistic attempts have, at the very least, sent ripples across the stagnant stillwater of glitzy, superficial entertainment. I did not mean to digress. I merely wanted to make a case that along with theatre artists, filmmakers (and those in fine arts) are beginning to take bold steps.
That one can notice an expanding consciousness, albeit very gradual, among practitioners. Recently, I sat through two different theatre productions during the course of one week, an unusual luxury.
The much-hyped fusion Arjuna’s Dilemma took me to Patan Museum’s inner courtyard on a Sunday evening, and a couple of days later, on a rainy Wednesday, I saw Anup Baral’s adaptation of Sarubhakta’s story, Thangla, at Shilpee Theatre. Set in an unnamed village in Nepal’s mountainous region,
Thangla opens with a playful interaction between Pemba and the young Chhiring, both of whom live with Chhiring’s sister Bhumo and his mother Lobsang (played by Deeya Maskey). Lobsang is waiting for her husband to return from Tibet, where he went on a trade mission. The tension between the characters sharply increases after the husband’s return, who is surprised and quickly aggravated when he learns that the young Pemba has not yet bedded his wife Lobsang.
Meanwhile, Pemba is caught between the expectations of his elders and his rapidly blossoming love for Kelsang. Thangla highlights this polygamous tradition–women typically keep multiple husbands– still practiced in some Janajati communities, and raises issues related to individual desire and will in the face of oppressive societal structures.
The lead actors are excellent; their mimesis of the communal dialect is admirable. But what stands out about this play is Anup Baral’s contemporary treatment of the drama. When I use the word contemporary, I am specifically referring to an ensemble of modern dancers whose entrances and exits punctuate well-crafted scenes. While the actors carry the story forward through dialogues, the dancers embody and convey subtler messages.
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