Gopal Tiwari

Kathmandu, May 18:

Nepal’s film industry worth over a billion rupees, once touted as the ‘milk cow’ of the nation, is facing survival threats due to poor quality of film production and scarce financial resources.

At a time when the industry’s fortunes have taken a nosedive, the government is organising a film festival and film expo 2005 from July 8 to 10 in the capital.

Film Development Board (FDB), a government body, is looking after the event.

Actress Shailaja Pandey, while talking to The Himalayan Times, expressed her serious concerns about the way the entertainment industry is moving and called for effective steps in making quality films. She added, “Low quality film production and lack of consistency in stories are major reasons for the dismal position of the industry.”

Another reason for the downward performance of the film sector is that films are not targetting the middle class, the largest segment of the audience, felt Pandey. “Films should cater to audiences from the lower strata of people to the high class segment, if the sector is to survive on the long run,” she opined.

Puran Joshi, an actor who is involved in making the film festival and expo a success, felt the sector is really in crisis due to political turmoil and a dismal environment. Joshi said that in Nepal, over 140 pictures used to be produced once annually which has now gone down to less than 10 a year.

The forthcoming film festival is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors, despite the inimical environment, said Joshi.

Due to the nosediving charm of the once-glamorous Nepali film industry in recent years, over 150,000 technicians and artists have been affected and are facing financial difficulties, Joshi informed.

Despite the difficulties, Joshi hoped that the film festival would be a landmark event in the history of Nepali entertainment sector. The event is the first of its kind event being held in the capital.

Bijay Sagar Pradhan, managing director of Kathmandu Exhibitions, opined that the film sector at present is experiencing a drop in performance. Given such a background, organising a film festival and film expo is a very challenging task, he opined.

“Movie theatres and film producers should show interest in reviving this industry,” said Pradhan while urging the government to help make the event a historic one. “The government should encourage producers and films halls to get involved in film festivals which is one of the best means to encourage them to be self-sufficient,” suggested Pradhan.

Of the total 213 film theatres established in the country, less than 50 per cent are in operation today, according to government figures. In Kathmandu valley alone, over 30 halls have already downed their shutters, while 35 are close to be closed.