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‘Jalini’, directed by the popular Nepali actor Dayahang Rai, tells the story of the eponymous Jalini, a princess. Set in prehistoric times, it is a dramatization of a folk­tale written by Dhruba Satya Pariyar. (Jalini is one of the stories from Pari­yar’s short story anthology ‘Kairan’.) This 1 hour 15 minutes-long play revolves around the issue of the ori­gins of various superstitious beliefs, and how they are still being prac­ticed. Witnessing the constricted role of women in the society of the time makes you think about the social status of contemporary wom­en. But it is as much a story about love and sacrifice.

To watch this play, make sure you reach on time. If you are even a minute late, you will not be allowed into the theater hall. This is also important because you may be unable to understand the complex story if you are not there right from the beginning.

The play is staged at 5:30 pm every day, and will run through October 7 (except on Mondays). On Wednes­days and Thursdays, the general tick­et price is Rs 300 and for students, it is Rs 200. If you go on other days, general ticket price is Rs 500 and for students, Rs 200. People who love folktales and are in a mood to see some good acting should make time. Mandala Theater at Anamnagar has over the years churned out many talented artists, a fact that is well reflected in Jalini.

 “Cats on the roof, cats inside the house, it seems like they are replacing the oth­erwise multitudinous mice these days,” says Sushant Shrestha, who lives in Kamaladi. Indeed, the ubiq­uitous street dogs have always been the talk of the town. Recently it is the street cats that seem to be garnering the attention. Street dogs usually pose a problem when you are out and about but cats can be anywhere, in the streets staring at you, in your kitchen slowly sneak­ing in to enjoy some milk, or even under your car. “Based on the increase in the average number of daily reports on cats and the growing number of cats we treat in our rescue and treatment program, I suspect Kath­mandu’s cat population is increas­ing,” says Samuel G Davies, one of the board members at the Kath­mandu Animal Treatment (KAT) Center. At the moment, KAT Cen­ter, which was established in 2004, is treating around 15-20 stray cats a month, which is “more than we used to get.”

Seema Sharma of Bafal, says, “Though cats do not usually cause any physical harm their crying and fighting at night really disturbs my sleep.” Likewise, Guneet Singh, from Kupondole, complains, “Sometimes they climb into my home and scour the dustbins in search of food. Even though the main door is locked, they enter from the terrace.” Sushant Shres­tha suspects the cats know the blue­print of his whole house. “They know where the kitchen is and all the entrances which lead to the kitchen.” Again, all these testimo­nies are indicative of an increasing cat population.

Davies attributes the increase in the number of stray cats to “rapid expansion and increasing urban­ization of Kathmandu.” According to him, most developing cities have large stray dog populations. By contrast, more developed plac­es have larger feral populations. This is true of every major city: London, New York, Seoul or Tokyo. In what Davies labels “urbaniza­tion switch,” the dog population is more controlled while the cat population goes up.

Ben Charman, the commu­nications officer at KAT Center, says that as cities develop they start spaying dogs. This decreas­es dog population, which in turn means “more free food and open spaces for cats”. Additionally, when street dogs become rare, the number of natural predators of cats is also reduced, further fueling cat population.

This raises animal welfare con­cern and increases the risk of dis­ease transmission. According to Davies, dogs are much easier to handle and effective measures can be taken to control their move­ment. “It is easier to ensure the majority of the dogs are vaccinated. But that is not the case with cats that roam more freely and are not incorporated into any successful vaccination program due to the dif­ficulty of catching them,” he says.

But is there no practical way to control cat population then? Davies encourages cat owners to get their pets spayed and neutered as “this is where the majority of breeding takes place”. KAT Center is setting up a mass feline sterilization ward, the first of its kind in Nepal. Once the ward is up and running, he urg­es locals of Kathmandu to report cats in their area and assist with their catching and transport for surgery. This, he points out, would be useful in decreasing the number of kittens being born and in con­trolling stray cat population.

The NADA Auto Show is well and truly under way. Chances are you’ve been waiting for the weekend so that you can check out what the event has to offer (if you haven’t been there already). The footfall is going to be off the roof. This is why you want to make the most of your visit and hit the most important stalls first. We want to help you with this, so here’s a short overview of the newest launches and the most exciting products.

TVS

Stall no: L-15

They had us waiting for a long long time, but TVS has finally brought the RR310 to Nepal. The Akula concept that teased the motorheads has finally arrived. Sharing the same engine as the BMW G310R, the TVS Apache RR310 is a wel­come addition in the entry-level sports bike segment. Its designs have literally been inspired by SHARKS! So it does look good and aggressive, but that’s not all. The 300cc liquid cooled engine makes 34 BHP and 27 Nm of torque.

JEEP

Stall no: A-7

The iconic American brand of Jeep has made a grand entry into Nepal with the Compass. The Jeep Compass is a compact crossover SUV introduced in 2007, and is now in its second generation. Although small compared to other Jeep SUVs, it still contains all of that legendary Jeep DNA, which is evident from its signature seven-slot grille. The Compass comes with an option of two oil burners under the hood. It enters a pretty competitive playground, but for us, that just means the compact SUV has just gotten more exciting. It’s good to have the Jeep in Nepal. Also making a surprise guest appearance is the Jeep Wrangler, which is frankly the most iconic Jeep ever made. For the off-road fanatics, this is reason enough to visit the NADA Auto Show.

Mahindra

Stall no: H-12

It isn’t always that you get to see a concept car at the NADA Auto Show, but the Stinger is here! Based on the TUV 300, the Mahin­dra Stinger SUV is built on a ladder frame chassis. This is an interest­ing concept that has an open top. The Stinger will be a concept only for the time being. This will be a sub 4 meter SUV and compact in dimensions. The front resembles TUV 300 and looks striking with a crowned bonnet and sleek head­lamps. 17-inch alloy wheels don this SUV and it has a sharply raked windscreen.

TATA Motors

Stall no: A-2

We loved the Tigor mainly for its design, a sedan with a short and lifted rear, the smoked headlamps and the sweet pair of alloys made for one hell of a sporty package. Now the Tigor gets rid of its oil burn­er and gets a battery instead. Tata also jumps into the electric power bandwagon with the Tigor EV which has a rather small 40 kW battery and does 100 km on a full charge. Also on display were the Nexon AMT and other models.

SWM

Stall no: M-1

SWM, the hugely-anticipated Italian bike maker, show­cased its three models—SWM 300R, Silver Vase 400, 650 Dual T—at this year’s show. This is a new edition to Nepal’s motorcycling industry that should definitely spice things up in the segment.

Honda

Stall no: L-10

The Honda XBlade is a new entrant into the 160 cc seg­ment. The X-Blade flaunts an aggressive design courtesy of a sculpted fuel tank, taller fly screen, an underbelly cowl, dual outlet muffler and chunky grab rails. A naked sport body featuring a razor sharp design and a Robo-like face makes the X Blade look fearless and ready to take on the segment giants. The new Honda X-Blade shares its underpinning with the Honda CB Hornet 160R. It churns out a maximum of 13.93 bhp and 13.9 Nm of torque. The XBlade will go head to head against Bajaj Pulsar NS 160.

Suzuki

Stall no: J-17

As always, Suzuki doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the NADA show. Although the company had no new models, it made sure its stall gathered maximum attention by displaying its entire range of models in Nepal including the hugely popular Vitara Brezza and the stylish third-generation Swift. Further, the company made full use of the platform to announce

Hyundai

Stall no: H-16

Electric seems to be the theme of this party as Hyun­dai has also joined other major players and brought in their own electric car for a show. The Hyundai Ioniq looks elegant yet low maintenance. Ioniq takes things to a new level with thoughtful amenities, advanced safety features and ingenious design. The Ioniq in the show floors is the fully electric version rather than a plug-in hybrid. The EV gets a 118 BHP electric motor and an estimated 200 km range; a DC fast charger can recharge its battery to 80 percent in 23 minutes.

 Harley-Davidson

Stall no: M-3

As big and real as it gets, this was the arrival every biker in the country was waiting for. Harley Davidson, the iconic American brand, has made its long overdue official debut. The company will blow things wide open in the higher capacity segment with their lineup, but at the NADA Auto Show all you get to see is the Iron 883 and the Superlow.

Yamaha

Stall no: L-17

When it comes to small sports bikes Yamaha sets the bar with the R15 series. One of the most pop­ular motorcycles, it is great to see the three generation finally coming to Nepal.

The V3 looks better than ever. The power comes from the new 155 cc, liquid-cooled engine that produces 19 BHP and 15 Nm of peak torque paired to a 6-speed gearbox. Accord­ing to reports, the new R15 is a feisty little crotch rocket. The company is also showcasing the Yamaha XTZ125 dirt bike and Ray ZR Street Rally at the expo.

Renault

Stall no: A-4

Jumping on the electric car band­wagon in this year’s show is Renault. They have on display the Renault Zoe, a five-door supermini electric car ranked among the world’s top 10 best-selling plug-in electric cars for years. The Zoe features an 80kwh powerplant which combines extra power with even greater driving. It boasts of a range of 400kms and a 0-80 percent charging time of just 65 mins.

Aftek Motors

Stall no: L-6

Aftek Motors, motorcycle manu­facturers from India, revealed the Darrel, Augusta, Scorpion and Zon­tes 250 at the NADA Auto Show 2018.

Hero MotoCorp

Stall no: L-5

A new entry, the Hero Xtreme 200R is similar to its younger sibling, the Xtreme Sports. But it looks sharper and sportier. It gets an all-new, 199.6cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine. It makes 18.4 BHp and 17.1Nm and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Also, there’s a single channel ABS, a first for Hero. Hero says the engine is designed to deliver more low-end torque and claims a 0-60 kmph time in 4.6 seconds and 114 kph top speed.

Claimed fuel efficiency is 39.9kmpl. Suspension components include a 37mm telescopic front fork and an adjustable monoshock unit at the rear. Braking is via 276mm front and 220mm rear disc brakes. The Hero Xtreme 200R goes against Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 and TVS Apache RTR 200.

Anisha Sharma Regmi, 27, is one of the most creative makeup artists in the country. Regmi, who trained in Bangkok, is the owner of the Aesthete Makeup Acad­emy and Studio. But she is better known for starting the culture of fantasy makeup in Nepal. Fantasy, highly dra­matic, or character make­ups are used for thematic photoshoots and other cinematic and theatrical purposes. The type of fantasy makeup also depends on where the model will be seen. Stage per­formers often use oil-based products that can with­stand hot lights. Watercolor makeup works best for photography sessions, TV and films because this type of makeup typi­cally comes in bold colors and creates clean lines that translate well on camera and on the big screen.

You must have seen plenty of fantasy makeup. Some of our best TV shows and movies such as the Star Wars, Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy, Planet of the Apes, X-Men and Harry Potter have used fantasy makeups to create unique characters in line with their out-of-the-world stories and cutting edge VFX sequences.

While ordinary makeup materials like eye-shadows, lipsticks and blushes can be used for fantasy makeup as well, most fantasy designs are created using vivid long-lasting products that are expensive and high in quality. Many items are needed, with the total cost building up to Rs 45,000 for a single look. As the price is high, the demand for fantasy makeup in the Nepali film industry has not increased much. But with the production cost of Nepali movies get­ting bigger, it is only a matter of time before it will need at least some fantasy makeup artists.

“Fantasy makeup is not about blending in but about standing out,” says Regmi. It creates an experience where the wearers pretend to be whichever character they desire—whether it’s a mermaid, a witch, an insect, a musical instrument or even a furry animal. “It is like painting on canvas. We paint faces and we create our own rules. Sky’s the limit when you’re going for fan­tasy makeup.”

Regmi wanted to learn fantasy makeup because she thinks it provides great artistic freedom. “You have the power to totally transform an indi­vidual, often into some­thing unrecognizable,” she adds. And it is this trans­formational quality of fantasy makeup that still keeps her motivated.

Her Aesthete Makeup Academy also runs classes for upcoming makeup artists to learn fantasy makeup. “Initially, it is intimidating for a newbie to imagine turning someone’s face into an artistic masterpiece, but with practice and focus, you may be surprised at what fantastic looks you can create,” she says.