Prashant Rasaily is not a household name in Nepal, not yet. But to a connoisseur of Nepali films, Rasaily has made enormous creative contribution to the industry; he provides a breath of fresh air to the mundane, formulaic portrayal of the Nepali society in mainstream Nepali cinema. From writing screenplay for the ground-breaking “Kaagbeni” (2008) to directing the tell-tale “Acharya” (2011) and then writing, directing, producing and giving music to the critically acclaimed “Katha” (2013), Rasaily has done it all. And he has done so with critical acclaim, a rarity in Nepali cinema.

 

Hailing from Sikkim, Rasaily has tried his hands in Bolly­wood too, assisting the famous filmmaker Anurag Basu in his Hritik Roshan-starrer “Kites.” The multi-talented filmmaker is currently in Nepal, taking an artistic retreat in the peaceful Pokhara and planning his next venture.

 

Sunny Mahat for APEX talks to Rasaily about his current work and future plans.

 

Excerpts:

 

So is it a total retreat from work for you right now?

 

I recently returned to Pokhara from Kathmandu after working on an indie film called “Cheeso Ashtray.” I’m providing technical and creative support to a fea­ture-length film being directed by Dinesh Palpali.

 

You come from Sikkim and probably had better oppor­tunities in India. So why did you choose Nepal and specially Pokhara as your work/rest destination?

 

I’ve been coming to Nepal regularly since the making of Kagbeni. Nepal is my second home. I hadn’t been here for a few years so I thought I’d come and stay for a while. As for Pokhara, I like this city for its calm and peaceful ambi­ence. I’ve been here for the past four or five months and I have found peace.

 

Any projects that you’re working on in near future?

 

A filmmaker’s work is never fixed. I’ll work for whatever project suits me and with whichever team I fancy. I have not committed anywhere yet and I’m keeping my options open. For now, I’m just find­ing peace here in Pokhara and I’m happy to do whatever I can when the time is right.

 

How important is formal learning in filmmaking, especially for aspiring Nepali filmmakers?

 

Learning is important no matter what we do. We film­makers either learn in school or on set. But formal learn­ing is still necessary, I think. These days, due to the readily available technology, anyone can make a movie and every­one is becoming a filmmaker. But film-making is not just only about grabbing a cam­era and shooting. It has many technical aspects and you also need to understand life. It’s about your ability to skillfully project your experiences in your work.

 

I am meeting a lot of young people who’re coming out of the few film schools here, and I see a good future for them. As for myself, even though I am not actually a trainer or a teacher, I want to share whatever I’ve learnt by experience with the new generation of filmmakers.

 

How much do you follow the Nepali film industry? Do you think it is making progress?

 

The progress is slow but there is progress. Compared to the number of movies released in Nepal every year, the number of exceptional movies is not that high. I can see some really good work in a few movies and I think that number has to increase to call it progress.

 

You have experience of working in Bollywood as well. The Bombay-based film industry has gone global lately. Why can’t we produce such global movies?

 

I think it’s about the thoughts in the first place. So long as you don’t have the right thoughts, you won’t be professional or dedicated. You will not have what it takes to go global. It is our thought patterns that need to change. Some people are already on their way though and doing amazingly. The number of these people has to increase in the industry. Some recent films are really nice and original, like “Kabaddi” and “Pashupati Prasad.” We can see the change coming in the Nepali film industry, but like I’ve said, the change is rather slow.