Nepali film industry faces lots of challenges: Rajesh Hamal

The third edition of the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival concluded at Hotel Himalaya in Lalitpur on Sunday. The two-day event, themed “Nepal: The Gateway to Asian Art, Culture, and Literature,” which had over 50 sessions ended with a note to convene the fourth edition of the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival on September 13-14, 2025.

During the event, legendary poet Dr. Bhuwan Dhungana was honored with the Yashaswi Sahitya Samman and Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, Sanjeev Sanyal, and Achyuta Samanta were honored with the Yashaswi Samman. Additionally, the Yashaswi Book Award 2081 was presented to six books across five categories.

The awardees include Devvrat for his poetry collection ‘Aswasthamako Nidharbata Bagmati Bagchha’; Muna Chaudhary for her fiction ‘Laar’; and Momila Joshi for her non-fiction work ‘Prashnaharu Ta Baki Nai Rahanchhan’, an award she shares with Arun Gupta for ‘Sanskriti Chintan’. Additionally, Rohini Rana’s ‘The Nepal Cook Book’ (English) and Yagyaraj Upadhyay’s research work ‘Kali-Karnaliko Lok Sahitya Tatha Sanskriti’ were also recognized. Each recipient received a prize of Rs 20,000 along with the award.

The festival brought together over 200 writers from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and other South Asian nations, fostering a rich exchange of literary and cultural traditions. “It was a grand celebration of literature, art, music, and culture, further strengthening Nepal’s role as a central hub for Asian cultural dialogues,” says the organization.

At one of the sessions of the Festival titled ‘Life Dedicated to Nepalese Films,’ noted actor Rajesh Hamal, in conversation with Rupesh Shrestha, dismissed the notion that the Nepali film industry is stuck. “The Nepali movie industry is in its own moment, and when something is in the moment, there will, of course, be challenges ahead,” he said. “Some people may like the journey, others may not, but the industry is moving forward.”