The Nepali film industry is still in a primitive stage. Filmmakers, even those who have been in the industry for decades, have not been able to find out what the Nepali audience actually wants. Although some filmmakers have found something close to a formula that seems to work for them, most Nepali films in recent years have failed to even earn back their investment.

At a time like this, the makers of the 2018 film “Lal Purja” deserve a five-star rating for their bravery. The drama, infused with dark humor and based in a fictional village, is surreal. The makers went experimental with the film and for a critic, succeeded fairly well. Unfortunately, the audience did not seem to give it much thought. No wonder I had to search through multitudes of Nepali films released on YouTube to get to this.

Somewhere in rural Nepal is Miteri Gaaun. The small village of simple people who’re mostly into agriculture is also apparently a tourist destination. The men of the village get together every evening at Rock-Sea—a local tavern and homestay run by the village Mukhiya (Harihar Sharma)—to talk, drink and watch WWE.

In the village also live stepbrothers Om Narsingh (Bipin Karki) and Tantrik (Saugat Malla), who are at loggerheads over a land and can’t get their hands off each other at every chance they get. Their regular fights become a headache for the villagers as they try to outfox each other off the land. But little do the simpletons know that their property is under the radar of bigger players from Ghatmandu—the capital city. What happens to them next makes up the rest of the film.

The story of Lal Purja is nothing new, especially for the Nepali society. Siblings fighting—legally, morally and physically—over ancestral property is something that has been normalized long ago in our society. It’s the presentation that makes the film different from other mainstream Nepali movies.

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Surrealism and mysticism galore in the film that begins with a poetic monologue from the renowned writer Kumar Nagarkoti who has previously released stories with unconventional plots like “Ghatmandu” and “Mystica.” Nagarkoti also appears in cameos throughout the film, so we guess the level of eccentricity in the film beforehand.

Eccentric would also be the right word to describe the main characters of Om Narsingh and Tantrik. Om Narsingh is a farmer while Tantrik is a tourist guide aspiring to become a tourism entrepreneur. Both men are physically strong and don’t shy from violence. Their physical confrontations are a treat to watch in the film as they try to emulate WWE moves to beat up each other. Actors Karki and Malla justify their reputation in the industry as they perform their respective roles with conviction. The physical exertions as well as expressions required by their characters could not possibly have been performed by anyone else.

Also adding charm to the film’s surrealistic reality is its background music and original soundtracks. Composed by Jason Kunwar, the film’s sounds range from electronic trance to local folk, all adding to the film’s oddity. There’s a particular scene where Tantrik beatboxes while a bunch of foreign tourists dance around him in a trance. The music at that particular time is so quirky that it is enjoyable.

Directed by Nigam Shrestha, Lal Purja seems to take slight inspiration from the Cohen Brothers and Stanley Kubrick films, especially in creating eccentric characters and using special color themes. But the result is only satisfactory, not great. There are many aspects of the film that have not been executed well. My biggest peeve with the movie is, it introduces the character of Parpala (Miruna Magar) and makes the audience believe she is important. The writing proves contrary though. Even though the film is themed purple, with hints that it’s because of her name, Parpala’s character lacks importance and the actor playing it also does not seem to be taking it in all earnestness.

Who should watch it?

The film is on Budha Subba Movies’ official YouTube channel, which is notorious for inserting random ads in its YouTube videos and Lal Purja is no different. So if you don’t mind the ads and are looking for a mildly entertaining Nepali movie, Lal Purja might interest you.

Lal Purja

Rating: 3 stars
Actors: Bipin Karki, Saugat Malla, Miruna Magar
Director: Nigam Shrestha
Run time: 2hrs 4mins