Kathmandu, Mar. 26: Nepali filmmakers are worried about the simultaneous release of Nepali and foreign films in local theatres.
They argue that low-budget Nepali films have to compete with high-budget Bollywood, South- Indian and Hollywood films in local halls.
The film industry, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic for the last two years is gradually reviving. However, growing penetration of big budget foreign films to Nepal has affected the business of Nepali films, said the filmmakers.

However, actor Bhuwan KC said that Nepali films are ready to compete with big budget foreign films.
Speaking at the trailer release programme of A Mero Hajur 4 on Thursday, the senior actor said that now Nepali artistes and technicians are capable to compete with the foreign films and Nepali audience will also love Nepali films. Even though local moviegoers want to watch Nepali films, actor KC said that the government was not providing needed support to Nepali films.

“We feel that foreign films have dominated Nepali culture, tourism and film,” said KC. Likewise, producer of A Mero Hajur 4 Sunil Kumar Thapa said “I have made the film with Nepali heart and Nepali originality and if you, after watching this film, say the film is not up to the mark, I will stop making the films right from tomorrow.”

Thapa’s film will clash with KGF 2, a big budget film from South India, from April 14 at the local theatres.
Producer Thapa said that a Rs. 30 million film is competing with a film made spending whopping Rs. 5 billion.

“It seems to me that a football match between Nepal and India is taking place on April 14. I expect support and help of Nepali audeince in the same way that we carry flags to encourage the players during the football game in the stadium. If it happens to the audiences, we will definitely score a goal,” said Thapa.

Lead actor of the film Anmol KC also compared the box office match on April 14 with the football match between Nepal and India and said that Nepal should win.
He said, “The audience have the right to choose which film to watch and we have also tried to make a good film. All I can say is that A Mero Hajur 4 is not a movie that needs to be sniffed”
Lead actress Suhana Thapa and director Jharana Thapa urged Nepali audience to love Nepali films and encourage Nepali filmmakers and artistes.