Hem Bahadur Lama, Nepal’s tennis patron and veteran film director, passed away on May 16 at the age of 94. 

Lama was born in Bhojpur district, Nepal but spent most of his childhood in Burma, now Myanmar. That is where he learned to play tennis. After returning to Nepal in 1965, Lama began teaching tennis in his free time and later went on to establish a tennis institution, Hem’s Tennis Academy. 

For Nepali tennis athletes and enthusiasts, Lama was the pioneer of the game in the country. He is credited not just for introducing tennis in Nepal but also for training countless players. 

He became the treasurer of All Nepal Lawn Tennis Federation in 1969.  

Besides his contribution to tennis, Lama was also one of Nepal’s foremost filmmakers who launched the career of many actors, including Anshumala Shahi, Sunny Rauniyar, Mohan Niroula, and his son Vijay Lama. They all starred in Lama’s 1984 directorial debut “Adarsh Nari”. 

“I met him at the premier of Adarsh Nari,” says Tulsi Ghimire, a veteran film director. “He was a natural, with an almost instinctive feel for filmmaking.”

“Was there something he could improve on?”, Ghimire remembers Lama asking him after the premier. 

“The making of Adarsh Nari was in itself a milestone in the Nepali film industry. And I told him exactly that,” Ghimire says. 

He adds Lama had a unique approach to direction.

“He once told me that he would close his eyes and visualize scenes before filming,” Ghimire recalls. “He had this uncanny ability to bring his imagination to life on the film-set.”

Lama's passing is a big loss to the Nepali film industry and sporting community.

Many athletes, both from the past and present, and people in the Nepali film fraternity paid tribute to Lama for his contributions.

His son Vijay, who is better known today as an airline captain, was one of his greatest admirers. 

"Dad, I'm not used to living without you. Your memory will haunt me, but I'm sure you're happy wherever you are," Vijay wrote on his Facebook in memory of his late father.

Vijay, who is active in various social media platforms, used to sometimes film his banters with his father. 

Lama was joyful and full of energy even in his dotage. His love for tennis remained intact as well.

Lama breathed his last at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. 

He is survived by three sons and a daughter.

Birth: 28 December 1927, Bhojpur

Death: 15 May 2022, Kathmandu