FICTION
PONTI
Sharlene Teo
Publisher: Picador
Language: English
Pages: 291, Paperback

Sharlene Teo won the £10,000 Deborah Rogers Writers’ Award for her unpublished manuscript ‘Ponti’. Later, Picador bought the rights to it in a seven-way auction. The cover has a wonderful comment by Ian McEwan on it. When I bought the book, I had pretty much made up my mind: This was going to be one special read.Sadly, it wasn’t. The much-lauded book feels strange and is, frankly, a bit tiring as well. That’s not to say the debut novel doesn’t have a prom­ising plot or Teo’s writing is bad; perhaps what it needed was more editing. What got published seems like a rough draft of a potentially great book.

The novel is set in Singapore where we meet Szu and Circe as teenagers. Their friendship is thick but uneasy. Szu comes across as clingy, and Circe could be best described as neurotic. Szu’s mother, Amisa, was once a star—having been featured in a series of horror movies that were ignored when they first came out but now enjoy a cult following—but works from home as a ‘hack medium’ (someone who connects the living with the dead) when we meet her.

The novel revolves around these three characters, with some men making occasional, vague, and redundant appearances. However, it’s Amisa who intrigues and infu­riates you as she goes about her life, oblivious to what’s happening around her and with blatant dis­regard for her daughter. You get a sense of the problematic relationship between the mother and daughter from the start but it’s crudely por­trayed. So much so that when Amisa falls ill and is hospitalized and Szu prays, “Please just get better and look normal again. Just get better and let me hate you in peace,” you aren’t really surprised or bothered.

The narrative alternates between the past when Szu and Circe were growing up and the present-day when a 30-something Circe works as a social media consultant for a firm whose new project is to remake Ami­sa’s cult horror movies. There is also a third narrative—of the young and beautiful Amisa who gets the chance of a lifetime when a director offers her the lead role in his upcoming film. Amisa’s story is gripping—the only story that manages that effect—but the character, albeit fascinating, seems hastily written and you can’t connect with her much.

Also, a lot of what Teo tells us about the characters feels pointless. I mean, what’s the use of a long and lengthy description of a tapeworm infestation that Circe is taking medi­cation for? It doesn’t factor into the story and the description is tediously drawn out. You could argue that it is mundane things like this that give a story a real feel but Teo’s writing isn’t powerful enough for that. It takes a good writer and a sharper editor to tell a simple yet gripping story.

It’s only in the last few pages that Teo shines and the story finally makes sense. But, as a reader, you have lost all interest in it by then.

The popular Deepak-Deepa comic duo have proven that some things really do get better as they age—wine, cheese, and their films. Their latest release “Cha Maya Chapakkai”, a continuation of their “Chakka Panja” series that started with “Cha Ekkan Cha” in 2015, is probably the most mature of the four movies that have been made using the same numerological funda. (They do mention an astrologer in the opening credit so we’re sure some divine intervention has been solicited to make all movies in the series financially successful.)

For this installment of the “Chakka Panja” series, the duo has roped in Rohit Adhikari as the producer while Dipendra Lama is given the directional responsibilities in the story he also writes. Deepak Raj Giri plays the lead as ‘BP’, and is also the person behind the screenplay, while his onscreen better-half Deepa Shree Niraula remains invisible in the movie and only takes the humble credit of ‘direction adviser’. But we do know the brainchild behind the whole franchise, right?

“Cha Maya Chapakkai” is a film based in Ghaderi village in hilly Nepal. Comrade BP is a communist cadre dedicated to his party and his communist father’s ideologies. Unfortunately, both he and his father (Prakash Ghimire) have not had any electoral success and BP, at 42, remains a bachelor, despite his mother’s constant nagging for him to get hitched. In fact, true- blue communists, BP and his father are both averse to material love, religion, and marriage.

But things take a curious turn when BP meets Jal (Keki Adhikari), a feisty medical doctor from their rival village Todke. After a few vengeful encounters, their animosity slowly brews into love and the 24-year-old doctor decides to get married to the 42-year-old politician. Her family, also politicians of a rival party, object—of course. But this is not the only focal point of the story. The comedy-centered duo of Deepak-Deepa have finally chosen as their focal topic something that is not so ‘glamorous’ and has rarely been touched in Nepali films, while its prevalence is still pervasive—water scarcity.

The problem is undeniably real and even the most lavishly living Kathmanduites have faced it and can identify with it at some level. Take that problem to a rural, hilly village in Nepal where water has to be carried long distances by women and children, and it becomes a truly gargantuan problem. So BP with his belle Jal—supported by comrades Praveen (Jitu Nepal) and Magante Narayan aka Goli Kanchha (Kedar Prasad Ghimire)—decide to wage a battle against the water bureaucrats and politicians who have denied water to Ghaderi village for so long. The presentation is brilliant and this is probably the best screenplay Giri has ever written. The dialogues, for which the aforementioned actors can be credited, are articulate and non-exclusionary. They use the language of politics in such earnestness that sometimes it feels like it’s our own Nepali comrades speaking at Khulla Manch. (Think Babu Ram Bhattarai and Prachanda.)

Working with some of the finest actors in Nepali cinema, the ability of director Lama to get the best out of them in all situations is commendable. Maybe it’s because of him that this film is more subtly humorous and guiltlessly enjoyable than its slapstick predecessors. Diverging from their loud-mouthed, insult-based, senseless, slightly racist and unintelligent comic sequences, CMC actually attempts dark humor, respects the audience’s intellect, and doesn’t objectify women to elicit audience laughter.

The acting-screenplay-direction in CMC is as ably supported by the cinematography. Director of Photography Hari Humagain, a Nepali cinema veteran, uses all possible angles to give the best possible views. From nailing locations to establishing characters and situations, the brilliant camerawork in CMC adds to the film’s artistic richness.

On the downside, the film is that it is rather lengthy: 2 hrs 25 mins is a long time to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and as a result, the climax suffers. Despite a promising first half and an enthusiastic opening of the second, the film never really picks up and the predictable/formulaic ending is a let-down. But that’s more a quibble than a complaint. It is most certainly worth a watch.

Who should watch Cha Maya Chapakkai?

We’re sure everyone who understands spoken Nepali would enjoy the film. This is also one of the rare Nepali comedies where sexually suggestive jokes and double-meaning dialogues are not used, so you can safely take your children along.

Rating: 3 stars
Run time: 2 hrs 25 mins
Director: Dipendra Lama
Actors: Deepak Raj Giri, Keki Adhikari, Jitu Nepal, Kedar Prasad Ghimire

Everything about the new movie “Rato Tika Nidhar Ma” reminds us of the 90s. It is written and directed by an actor who was active in the Nepali movie industry in the 90s—Ashok Sharma. The story is a typical 90s movie-stuff and the screenplay has plenty of skits, scenes and sequences that have been lifted off 90s Kollywood and packaged anew. Even the film’s name takes inspiration from the Rajesh Hamal-Karishma Manandhar starrer “Allare” (1998) with the iconic “Rato Tika Nidhar Ma” song, which probably is one of the most recognized and widely played songs in the history of Nepali cinema.

Now as audiences, a little nostalgia is never bad but, unfortunately, Rato Tika Nidhar Ma represents the 90s in a grim light. For one, the film continues the nepotistic practices of the past with director Sharma’s son Ankit Sharma debuting in the lead role as Akash. Sharma Jr is a terrible misfit for the film, but we’ll come to that later.

Now Sharma Sr—who played a negative character in Allare—was never an impactful actor and his directorial venture doesn’t seem to have evolved from the formulaic screenplay, comedy skits, and melodramatic sequences of the 90s. Seniority and experience get way too much respect in Nepal and it feels like Sharma Sr is trying to exploit his past villainous appearances and cameos to make the audience believe he can write and direct a full-length feature film. Alas, he doesn’t succeed.

The film revolves around two friends—Akash and Drishti (Samragyee RL Shah). Akash who wants to migrate to Australia, and works as an agent to send Nepali migrant workers to the Middle East to collect money for his foreign adventure. Drishti is a young widow who wants to start agricultural entrepreneurship to stop local villagers from migrating abroad. The story revolves around their struggles in the village, and in trying to show gambling and labor migration as social evils.

Like most Nepali filmmakers who want to give a message and spread social awareness through their films, Sharma Sr is too focused on lecturing to be able to make a coherent and bearable movie. The film is ridiculously lengthy for its trite story (1hrs 54mins), the screenplay is lethargic, editing flawed at various points, and continuity breaks apart frequently. (Very 90s Nepali cinema, when the whole industry was primitive and struggling.)

For today’s audiences who are well informed and have been exposed to some of the most creative works in Nepali cinema, this movie is nothing sort of a punishment for their failure to foresee the disaster in the trailer itself. While actress Shah, despite doing almost half a dozen Nepali films, has still not been able to speak our language properly, Sharma Jr makes her look better as he struggles every second the camera points at him. His dialogue delivery is weaker than Shah’s and she outshines him even when it comes to connecting with the audience emotionally—imagine that! Sharma Jr is amateur, unconfident and is evidently a victim of his own name—he gets too much screen time although he could clearly do without it.

The film marketed as “social comedy” does have talented actors like Buddhi Tamang, Rabindra Jha, Neeta Dhungana, Jaya Nanda Lama, and Shiva Hari Poudel for comic relief but again, you can’t invite someone for dinner in a latrine and expect them to enjoy your food.

Who should watch Raato Tika Nidhar Ma?

Seems like Nepali filmmakers are adamant on making the year 2019 memorable as a ‘year of disasters’. Rato Tika Nidhar Ma destroys all fond associations of the audience with the song. Even the cover version of the song in the film is not as melodious as the original. We thought we’d be in for a treat this Dashain, but we just got handed a Rs 5 note as dakshina in an expensive envelope. If you got some money to spare, better spend it on onions for your favorite delicacies this festive season.

Rating: 1 star
Actors: Samragyee RL Shah, Ankit Sharma
Director: Ashok Sharma
Run time: 1hr 54mins

Review: Movie Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi

The Nepali movie industry finally gets out of its ‘financial emergency’, thanks to director Ram Babu Gurung’s “Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi”—which has crossed Rs 50 million in collections at the time this report is being written, and the amount is expected to double shortly.

“Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi” is the third installment of a film series based on the life and times of Bir Kaji (Dayahang Rai), a village simpleton in Mustang who knows how to love but is never loved back. Bir Kaji is besotted with his cousin Maiya and wants to marry her, but she has other plans. He fails to woo her over tough competition from other men and remains a bachelor without any interest in marrying anyone besides Maiya. The tragedy starts for Bir Kaji from the very first instalment of ‘Kabaddi’ (2013), and is the base of the latest installment in the series as well.

From the very first ‘Kabaddi’ to ‘Kabaddi Kabaddi’ (2015) and now to ‘Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi’, there is nothing drastically new in the plot, besides Bir Kaji trying to find a bride and Birkhe (Bijay Baral), a longtime friend and henchman, going to great extent to help him.

In KKK, our ageing hero Bir Kaji has only gotten more arrogant and bitter with time. Love is no more on his agenda but he still doesn’t seem to have a good aim in life. He just wants to live out the rest of his life with Maiya’s memories. But then a much younger cousin Kashi (Upasna Singh Thakuri) enters the scene, raising the hope for the desolate heart of Bir Kaji. As fate would have it, and as in other Kabaddi movies, love is not his cup of chhyang. He has fierce competition here too and a dangerously strict girl’s mother to win over.

Again, the movie’s strength is not its story or plot. KKK is based in a semi-rural Mustang village and then travels to Ghandruk at some point. Its biggest asset is rather how organically filmmakers are able to place characters in their natural settings. It is a proven forte of director Gurung to showcase the Gandaki region as one of the most beautiful, habitable, and hospitable places in Nepal.

When most Nepali films choose the hills and mountains of the country as just another ‘location’, the setting of this film in the hills makes it unique as it takes us into the villages of the Gandaki region cinematographically. Not just that. We are also invited into the humble homes and the simple lives of the people of the area. So much effort has gone into representational costumes and dialect of the area that they all feels natural. As if we’ve lived in rural hills all our lives, we immediately identify with the people there.

Another commendable fact about KKK is that it is a wholehearted comedy that doesn’t rely on gimmicks like insult and sexualization to elicit humor. The characters are not loud, nor overbearing, and they don’t stoop low to make you laugh. They’re just being themselves and easily dissolve into plots and sequences to create clean humor that families can enjoy together.

Despite a heavy cast, including some of the most talented actors in the industry, Rai and Baral steal the show. As an inseparable pair of friends, the pair is funny, yet philosophical too. Their comic timing is impeccable, individually and as a duo. For someone who’s watched the entire Kabaddi series, you can’t help but fall in love with them.

There’s absolutely no message you can take away from KKK. Nor do the filmmakers want to impart any social lesson. The intent of making an organic, believable film is enough to keep the audience entertained, it seems. Despite some flaws, KKK is an all-out entertainer and also offers a great lesson to Nepali filmmakers—you don’t need to bar foreign films in order for the Nepali films to be successful. Just make good cinema.

Who should watch it?

If you’ve liked the previous editions of ‘Kabaddi’, you’ll love this movie too. No worries if you haven’t either. The film is just as good on its own.

Rating: 3 stars
Director: Ram Babu Gurung
Actors: Dayahang Rai, Upasana Singh Thakuri, Bijay Baral
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Run time: 1hr 55mins