Bangladeshis got a rare taste of Nepali culture and heritage with the screen­ing of the play “Naugedi” at the BHUMIZ International Theater Festival at Panchagarh District in northern part of Bangladesh. The play won the hearts of even those who did not understand Nepali. The audience clapped at the end of every scene. Encour­aged by the positive energy of the audience, Nepali actors did really well on stage. The play showcases Nuwakot’s yearly Dupcheswor Mela and the lives surrounding it. Puru Lamsal, who penned and directed the play, says there is a belief that if you visit this Mela you will be blessed with good luck. Childless couples would be blessed with a child, couples’ love would be success­ful and those who are single would find a good life-part­ner. And the play revolves around this belief. Lamsal adds that the play also deals with the issues of untouchabil­ity and sex trafficking.

The eight-day festival from October 9-16 had fea­tured plays from Nepal, India and Bangladesh.