Having watched almost everything (Nepali and bearable) released in the past few years, I was beginning to think that I’d watched them all. The elusive ‘gem’ seemed to be getting rarer and rarer as the resources of Nepali films on YouTube began to expire. I dug a little deep this week though and came across a movie from 2012 that I think is cruelly underrated.
Actor Arpan Thapa writes and stars in the seemingly forgotten “Dhanda”. Directed by Sudarshan Thapa, Dhanda is a revenge thriller molded more on European-style realism than the commercial Nepali action genre. It is not completely arthouse but still a gritty, dark narrative of one man’s struggle against a life-and-death situation and the retribution that follows.
Produced and released around a decade ago, Dhanda has almost all shortcomings of Nepali films from that time. There is CGI that surely didn’t age well, supporting actors who can’t really support their characters, camerawork that falters at times, bad lighting, and jerky editing. The story is not something entirely new or exciting either.
Arjun (Arpan Thapa) is a teacher at a local school in a rural Nepali village. He is living a content life with his spouse (Samuna KC) and parents. But his family, especially his father, expects more of him. Arjun’s father wants him to go to the US and settle there. A reluctant Arjun relents to family pressure and comes to Kathmandu in search of agents to get him a work permit for the US.
In Kathmandu, Arjun meets Mama (Kamal Mani Nepal), a distant relative from his village who takes him to an agency owned by Shanti (Subechya Thapa) and Santosh (Pushkar Gurung). As gullible as he is, Arjun falls into the trap of the shrewd agents who not only swindle him off his money but also have him attacked with the intention of murder. Arjun survives but is severely injured, both physically and mentally. His quest for revenge against all the perpetrators involved makes up the rest of the film.
So what makes Dhanda so watch-worthy, you may ask? It’s the execution of a simple story into a chilling and brutal film. Most of the credit for this goes to Arpan and his acting skills. The actor is a powerhouse in the film and his transition from a simple school teacher to a killer out for revenge is just remarkable. Bearing a deep resemblance to Christian Bale’s Trevor Reznik in The Machinist (2004), Arjun is this rawboned structure whose facial expressions and appearance spell brutality and violence.
With Arpan’s extraordinary acting, director Sudarshan has also done a commendable storytelling job despite some production issues. The film does look budget, even considering the time and context it was shot in, but Sudarshan is able to turn the odds in his favor with a healthy pace and steady rhythm. Told in flashbacks using shaky handheld shots and seemingly limited equipment, the film does not lose its plot anywhere and holds Arjun’s past and present together.
On the technical front, Nima Lama’s makeup is also a highlight. The makeup artist has put every effort and succeeded in giving Arjun the dead-man-walking look befitting his character. Considering the resources available in Nepal, the makeup effects in Dhanda are top-notch and one of the best works in the Nepali film industry in the past decade.
As for the cinematography and the background score, they shine in bits and pieces but do not stand out. At the same time, they do contribute to some of the most brutal scenes in the Nepali film industry’s history.
Who should watch it?
Although based on social issues, Dhanda is not exactly an eye-opener. But it’s still an exciting film to watch, especially with Arpan Thapa’s acting and special makeup effects. Most audiences disappointed with recent Nepali films will probably enjoy this one.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Genre: Action, thriller
Actors: Arpan Thapa, Samuna KC
Director: Sudarshan Thapa
Run time: 1hr 47mins
Trailer: https://youtu.be/aXHXFaMpSSI
Movie link: https://youtu.be/fghzbVAS5yk
