Submit your Article

There is a lot to watch on Netflix, with new movies and series being added every week. It’s only natural that some of us might have missed out on certain gems. This week, we would like to recommend our top three favorites. Sir If you plan to watch one movie from this list, let it be this. Don’t be fooled by the trailer. It lets you believe this is another one of those stories about a rich man changing the life of a poor, underprivileged woman. But Sir is so much more than that. It’s an extremely nuanced portrayal of the struggles and dreams of a daily wage earner. Ratna, played by Tillotama Shome, is a widowed domestic help in Mumbai. She lands in a complicated relationship with her boss, Ashwin. He has just returned from America after breaking off his engagement. Though essentially a love story, Sir makes you question why and how societal constructs pose many hurdles in our day-to-day lives. The movie shines a light on class divide and the various social ills that come with it. Shome is a delight to watch on screen. She embodies Ratna through her body language and dialogue delivery. Vivek Gomber, who plays the shy Ashwin, supports her wonderfully. He manages to convey a range of emotions while saying very little. In the end, you will find yourself rooting for the two and praising the director’s (Rohena Gera) brilliant execution of the plotline. Sir is a simple, feel-good story that stirs a lot of emotions. Do Dooni Chaar This is your chance to watch Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh together for the last time and witness the magic they bring to cinema as a couple. The camaraderie between the two is evident in the film and it is one of the many things that makes Do Dooni Chaar such an entertaining watch. An ode to teachers everywhere, Do Dooni Chaar is a realistic story about a middle-class family that wants to buy a car but struggles to do so on the protagonist’s (played by Rishi Kapoor) meager income. He is a math teacher. When he is bribed to make a student pass his exams, the moral conflict begins as does a hilarious account of what follows. Neetu Singh as Kusum adds a spark to the story. She’s the loving wife and mother who gives much-needed doses of reality checks. The other characters, like the couple’s daughter and son as well as the ‘well-meaning’ aunts and uncles who come and go, add interesting layers to a simple story and give it some edge. But it is indeed the endearing protagonist who steals the show. Soni This movie will make you angry. The misogyny sometimes gets a bit much. Like when this man asks his friend’s wife, ‘How is your Phoolan Devi? Has she calmed down?’ while inquiring about her colleague. She smiles and hands him a cup of tea. The wife is the Superintendent of Police and the colleague her husband’s friend is referring to is a sub-inspector. You realize that women are undermined everywhere, despite all that they do, and the positions they hold. Though a cop-drama, Soni doesn’t involve actual crime-solving. Rather, it’s about two women police officers and their professional and personal struggles. The film opens on a deserted street in Delhi where a woman on a bicycle is being stalked. The scene ends with the woman leaving the man with a broken jaw and a swollen eye. The short-tempered woman is Soni, a Delhi police sub-inspector, who doesn’t take harassment lightly. Her superintendent, Kalpana, is the exact opposite. She is calm and unfazed by problems. But she can do little to control Soni’s hot-headedness. The two women are also a part of a special operation intended to keep Delhi’s streets safe for women. The lifestyles of the two women protagonists are completely different. One lives in a cramped police colony flat and does all the household chores herself, while the other lives in a spacious apartment with a maid at her beck and call. But the issues the two women face are the same, simply because they are women. With outstanding performances by Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Saloni Batra, Soni, co-written, directed, and edited by Ivan Ayr, is an essential watch.

The ruling Nepali Congress has unveiled its election manifesto for November 20 federal and provincial assembly elections. NC has said that a post-election government will be formed under the party's leadership. If you do not have time to read the full text, here are the major highlights of the election manifesto in 30-point. 1. KP Sharma Oli-led government which was formed in 2018 and ruled since 2021 tried to make parliament a rubber stamp. Oli took a series of measures to sabotage the constitution and Parliament 2. Five-party coalition was formed in order to protect the democracy and constitution which helped to bring back the constitution on track 3. Border disputes with both India and China will be resolved through diplomatic dialogue and NC will remain committed not to allow to use of Nepali soil against any neighboring countries 4. Nepal will not join any military blocs and will not engage in any geopolitical competition of major powers 5. In the changing geopolitical situation, Nepal will employ soft power and public diplomacy to advance Nepal’s foreign policy 6. NC will take initiative to enhance the ownership of the constitution by the wider section of the population 7. Nepali Congress will take the initiative to resolve the looming economic crisis such as trade imbalance and low domestic productivity 8. Expansion of current highways and construction of new ones will be the high priority 9. NC has committed to take measures in the areas of energy, and water. Drinking water, communication 10. The current federal structures will be enhanced and strengthened. Provincial structures will be made even more effective 11. Women’s literacy rate will reach 95 percent. Federal Education Act will be introduced within a year 12. Provisions will be made for free of cost medical treatment for children below three and adults above 75. The area of health insurance will be expanded 13. 1.2 million jobs will be created within the next five years 14. At least 7 percent economic growth will be achieved 15. High-speed internet facilities for the local bodies 16. To achieve net zero carbon by 2045, a roadmap of the green economy will be developed 17. Climate Change Research Center will be established 18. The production of good grains will be increased to ensure self-reliance 19. The production of 10000 Mega Watt electricity 20. 2 million tourists in the next five years and the tourism sector will contribute 5 percent to the country’s GDP 21. Cultural museums will be established in the provincial assemblies 22. Senior citizens above 65 will get senior citizen allowances 23. Free of cost electricity for up to 50 units of electricity 24. A law will be promulgated to address the conflict of interest issues 25. 80 percent of schools will get internet facilities 26. Free of cost sanitary pad for women 27. Expedite the construction of hydropower projects 28. Law will be formulated to force the people holding public positions to make their property public 29. Parliament will be allowed to complete its five-year tenure 30. Constructions of railway lines

First Covid-19 and then dengue followed by a dreary Dashain, thanks to heavy rainfall, Kathmandu residents badly needed a break. Jazzmandu—probably the biggest music festival in Kathmandu—came to our rescue at the right time. Held from Oct 13 to 19, the 18th edition of the event gave us a chance to disconnect from the humdrum of daily life and indulge in some good music. Bringing together jazz performers from Nepal and all over the world, this year’s event, ‘Jazzmandu 2022’ had many performances in different venues. There were a total of seven artists: Jamie Baum Sextet (USA), Catia Werneck (Brazil/France), Yumi Ito (Switzerland), Jin Jim (Germany), Cadenza Collective (Nepal), Jonisha Poudel (Nepal), and Samundra Band (Nepal). At the grand finale of the event, held on Oct 19 at Hotel Yak and Yeti in Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, all the performers came together for a spectacular closing. The fest formally started on Oct 13, with Cadenza Collective jamming with their new and old friends in Kathmandu’s well-known jazz club, Jazz Upstairs. The performance by Cadenza Collective had both a jazzy and traditional vibe and people were grooving to their music. The opening act was indeed a blast for everyone who made it to the show. The second show on Oct 14 had a bit of a personal touch. Held in several locations in Kathmandu, people could visit the place they were most comfortable with or go listen to an artist of their choice. Jamie Baum Sextet performed at Jazz Upstairs in Lazimpat, Jin Jin at Electric Pagoda in Thamel, Catia Werneck at Evoke Café and Bistro in Jhamsikhel, and Yumi Ito at Musicology in Patan. You could very well say there was some jazz in almost every corner of Kathmandu valley. But without a doubt, the third day of the fest, on Oct 15, was the best one of all. Held at Gokarna Forest Resort, visitors got to enjoy live music under the open sky at the resort. The festival kicked off at three in the afternoon and went on till 10:00 pm. This informal, almost picnic-like way of enjoying jazz music in the company of your loved ones, while sipping a glass of wine, has over the years been a popular feature of Jazzmandu. The event had a slightly more formal vibe on Oct 17. Held at Aloft in Thamel, the event featured Catia Werneck and Cadenza Collective. They set just the right mood with their mesmerizing performances. Cadenza Collective opened the show with tunes that were a mixture of jazz with a hint of traditional music. It also included a jazzy version of ‘Tamang Selo’ which was simply amazing. They ended the show with their famous music, none other than the song ‘Momo Funk’, to which the crowd cheered and sang along. Catia Werneck performed next. Her music was all about love. The crowd loved her French music. It was evident by their cheers and claps. Visitors ApEx talked to said they just wanted to stand up and dance to the music. Werneck was enjoying herself. She clearly loved to sing. The vibe caught on. People were captivated by her charm. However, it was quite challenging to make Jazzmandu a successful event this year, mostly because of the dengue epidemic. “We followed the necessary protocols, gave our 100 percent, and hoped for the best,” says Samir Chhetri, media coordinator. Jazzmandu started in 2002 and has always had national and international artists. “But this time we wanted to do something different which is why we held workshops before the actual event,” says Chhetri. This year, Jazzmandu organized music and live sound workshops from Oct 10 to 12 for those interested to participate. They also conducted a music competition, whose winner got to perform during their event at the Gokarna Forest Resort. This time, Jazzmandu also had something to offer jazz enthusiasts—a chance to learn the music they loved. On Oct 18, there was a masterclass for anyone willing to attend. Although seats are limited, entry was free. You could get a basic knowledge of jazz music from well-known experts in the field. The classes were held in two locations: Yala Maya Kendra in Patan, Lalitpur, and The Music Room in Kathmandu. The mentors were Jamie Baum Sextet and Jin Jim, and Catia Werneck and Yumi Ito respectively. There was also a jazz performance at Yala Maya Kendra, in the evening, where the audience got a dose of traditional Nepali music with a touch of jazz. In the past, the audience used to be mostly tourists. Nepalis, Chhetri says, were not that aware or interested in jazz back then. But in the past few years, Nepalis have apparently shown interest in jazz. It was quite evident this year as the majority of the audience were Nepalis, although there were quite a lot of tourists too. “It was really nice to see so many locals enjoying our music,” says Chhetri.

I’m a 25-year-old lawyer trying to figure out if I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I feel like I compulsively do certain tasks until and unless I’m satisfied, but then I don’t know if that means having OCD or just being a perfectionist. Everybody says they have OCD these days. I don’t know what that means. I really need to understand what I’m going through. Please help!—M.K Answer by Rishav Koirala, psychiatrist, researcher For you to understand what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is, first you need to be clear about the terms ‘obsession’ and ‘ego dystonic’. A person is ego-dystonic when s/he constantly has unpleasant thoughts. For instance, I had a patient who felt like washing clothes a lot. She did not want to actually do the task but she just thought about it a lot. To make things more relatable, I believe you have seen people around you continuously washing their hands or starting to clean every time they are anxious. Most of it is because of their ego-dystonic thoughts. Getting these thoughts continuously can be considered an obsession. This obsession makes a lot of people anxious, making them resort to the compulsive behavior of performing the same task again and again. It’s a way of relieving their anxiety. Having this behavior can be considered as having OCD. But that is not always the case. Only when your thoughts compel you to perform a task again and again for a momentary relief from anxiety, is it known to be OCD. There is no definite way to diagnose OCD. You have to be aware of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. And for that, you need to work with a mental health professional. But I have also seen many of my patients find their own way to deal with this compulsive behavior. You can find your way too. First, with the help of the above information that I gave you, try to figure out if you have OCD. There is a difference between being a perfectionist and having OCD but unfortunately no one can determine that better than you. Secondly, if you do feel like you have OCD, meditation is one of the ways to tackle this compulsive behavior. But for that, you have to visit a psychiatrist. Some people try to stop themselves from continuously performing a task, reducing it from being a compulsion and thus dealing with their issues and anxiety. But this can prove to be difficult on your own which is why seeking professional help might ultimately be the right course of action.