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The audience response to ‘Jaari’ was so overwhelming that I felt like it would be a mistake not to watch it. Upendra Subba (who wrote the scripts of the Kabaddi series), I believe, is one of the best writers we have today. His poems are brilliant. The popular anthology ‘Kholaka Geet’, makes your stress and ego melt away in seconds. His award-winning book ‘Lato Pahad’ is another masterpiece. The point is, it was impossible not to have high expectations from Jaari, which is written and directed by Subba. I finally managed to get two tickets to the movie on my third attempt to watch it. It was the 51st day of the show and not many multiplexes in Kathmandu were running many shows. If I hadn’t gotten a ticket that day, I would have been heartbroken.   The movie was supposed to start at 2:00 pm. But advertisements took over. “This is unfair. They should have informed us,” said my friend, getting impatient. I asked her if she wanted to go out and get something to eat as we had rushed in, thinking the movie would start any minute. She didn’t think it was a good idea since we might miss a few crucial minutes of the movie that way. But the movie didn’t start until we walked in with our loaded tray of food, a whole 15 minutes later than the time printed on the tickets. Do all multiplexes do this? Allocate 15 minutes before the movie to run ads? I’m sure young couples don’t mind the extra time to canoodle but it was really annoying for us. Back to Jaari, I had read over a dozen reviews—some of them were wonderful and some less so. I wondered whether my opinion of the movie would be clouded by what I had read. But as the movie went on, nothing felt like déjà-vu. It was unlike anything I had watched or read before. Now I think of Jaari as a morning breeze—fresh and calming. Or should I compare it to a Vipassana experience, serene and liberating? Perhaps as pensively beautiful as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? Jaari’s delivery and mood felt poignant and solemn, which can largely be attributed to the impressive cinematography and the magical melodies. There’s no rush in the plot, no artificial decorations in dialogues, and no dramatic touches in characters. There is no nonsense. Love happens when it has to happen and doesn’t happen just because they’re husband and wife. Love creeps in only when you are ready for it. When life has left you bruised and battered, freeing you of all the ego and arrogance, love comes and sits quietly in your lap. This is the kind of love Jaari showcases. There could be controversial views on whether the female lead (Hangma, played by Miruna Magar) comes across as weak or strong. She might even seem like a victim. But what’s not to be forgotten is that she makes her own decisions, and she doesn’t regret the consequences. She has the guts to walk out on an abusive husband, and resist her mother’s request for a quick patch-up. But when her ex-husband (Dayahyang Rai as Namsang) and his family insult hers for taking time to clear the jaari amount, she makes a difficult decision: She announces that she is ready to go back to her abusive husband’s house, as a way to buy more time for the payment. The Jaari culture can be considered as a facilitating tool to end strained marriages and start afresh life with one’s chosen partner. This speaks volumes of the free choice in love affairs and marriages in the Limbu community, whereas divorces in other communities in Nepal, mainly in strict Hindu families, are still quite discouraged even when the couples’ conjugal life isn’t harmonious. Such forced longevity in marriage is not what the Limbu community welcomes. When Hangma throws back the coin (that symbolizes the end of the relationship) and steps out of the husband’s house, it looks powerful. And her community people simply comment that ‘a woman, somebody’s daughter, won’t live with you if you don’t regard or and value her enough.’ Each and every character of Jaari, even if they appear for a minute, looks real and is vital to the story. They all leave lasting impressions and add to the movie. The storyline is simple, yet it might be a taxing job to understand the sequences for a non-Limbu audience or those alien to the culture. For outsiders, when they completely understand the Jaari culture, it could feel fascinating, as well as threatening, as the inability to pay off the Jaari amount (which is the sum of what a groom’s family invested, including golden ornaments, to get the girl’s hand) ‘could be disastrous.’ Palam is another fascinating bit in the movie. The melodious songs of joy, sorrow, love, life, nature, and universe transport you to a different world. The lead male, Namsang, cries twice in the movie—the second time being when he has to sing Palam to win back his love, his ex-wife. And he’s someone who was never great at performing Palam. This makes the audience nervous for him. Everyone is watching if he can finally do it. The climax is such a thrill. The movie is peppered with humor, given Subba’s penchant for it. Full of light, comical shots, it keeps the audience hooked. Mangal Singh (Bijay Baral) has perhaps immortalized the scene of mating buffaloes through his extraordinary facial expressions. Being a son of Limbu father and Brahmin mother, he has never had a girlfriend and romance is something he longs for. His crazy reaction over animals mating makes everyone double with laughter.   Jaari will make you believe that Limbus are epitome of simplicity, openness, and integrity. What’s remarkable is also their temperament. You won’t find a character in Jaari who’s not short tempered. Their straightforwardness is complemented by their anger. They are a feisty lot and they aren’t ashamed about it. They will only bow down to what they believe is right—just like Hangma did when her family couldn’t pay back her husband. The movie is set in the 1990s and communicates the nuances of that period well through silent acts and gestures. The songs could have been better but I feel that’s just a minor glitch. As I left the movie theater, I was thinking about how many people might have watched it till now and whether the production team is considering adding English subtitles. I believe school children should watch this movie. It’s not just about art and entertainment. It’s a solid cultural bridge to bring the many communities of Nepal closer to one another.  Drama  Jaari Actors: Dayahang Rai, Miruna Magar Bijay Baral, Prem Subba Director: Upendra Subba Runtime: 121 minutes