Rumba is not the only one complaining. Most movies made in the year 2074 have been unsuc­cessful. Only 10 percent of the 83 movies released in the year made a profit; 20 percent broke even. The producers of the rest blamed movie theater owners, actors and distributors for their film’s failure. Most producers who lost their investment are in no mood to make another film.

 

Although investments in films grew considerably last year, the return on them didn’t meet expectations. Film-mak­ing costs spiked largely because actors’ fees and other expenses increased. The cost of making one film last year ranged from Rs 2.5 million to 30 million. Only a few films were able to take advantage of the global mar­ket, and the domestic market wasn’t big enough to recoup costs. Many films couldn’t be completed on time—another fac­tor that swelled costs.

 

While 160 films were registered for production at the Film Devel­opment Board, only 83 were released in 2074 BS. Ghampa­ni, directed by Dipendra Lama, was released on the first day of the year. Lili Bili, directed by Milan Chams, and Nepte, direct­ed by Dev Kumar Shrestha, were released on last day of the year.

 

Most of the films released last year could recoup just 10 to 50 percent of the investment. A tiny number of them, however, made handsome profits—two to three times the investment cost. Films that earned the most profits last year include Chhakka Panja-2, Shatru Gate, Kri and Ae Mero Hajur.

 

Chhakka Panja-2, directed by Deepa Shree Niraula, per­formed well at the box office at a time when the trend of mak­ing sequels is growing. In fact, it did even better than its prequel Chhakka Panja in terms of box office collections. While the two films have a similar cast, their stories are different. Chhakka Panja-2 was produced with an investment of Rs 15 million.

 

Shatru Gate, another box-office success, was also made with an investment of Rs 15 million. It is still being screened at a few theaters. Although it is running in the fifth week, it is still giv­ing tough competition to new releases. It’s entirely possible that among the movies released last year, Shatru Gate, which made a whopping Rs 30.2 mil­lion in its first weekend, will be the highest earner. This film with a fairly large cast was directed by Pradip Bhattarai.

 

Kri, starring Anmol KC and Aditi Budhathoki, did earn a prof­it, but it had to pay a fine worth Rs 1.1 million for plagiarizing a song. Kri was directed by Suren­dra Paudel and produced by Bhu­wan KC and Subash Giri.

 

Some other films that recouped their investment include Aish­warya, Prem Geet-2, Ma Yas­to Geet Gaaunchhu, Kanchhi and Lili Bili. But because most films couldn’t recover their investment, the overall loss the film-making industry incurred last year totaled Rs 500 million.  

 

BY ANANTA WAGLE | KATHMANDU