Legendary Bollywood director, producer, and actor Ramesh Sippy and Nepali cinema’s ‘Mahanayak’ Rajesh Hamal are set to take part in a dialogue programme.

The programme will be held as part of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF), which is scheduled to take place from April 2 to 6.

The organisers said that the session between the two will take place at the Nepal Tourism Board at 3 pm on the festival’s second day.

NIFF’s Chairman KP Pathak said that the two will discuss the journey of Nepali and Bollywood cinema, their personal experiences, and the past, present, and future of films.

He said, “The dialogue will focus on the experiences of these two legends, their journeys, and the future of cinema. We have organised this programme with the expectation that director Sippy’s presence at NIFF will further strengthen ties between the Bollywood industry and the Nepali film sector.”

Sippy has directed more than a dozen Bollywood films. The iconic movie ‘Sholay’, considered a landmark in Bollywood, was directed by him.

In his films, Sippy has worked with major Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Mithun Chakraborty, Rishi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Dharmendra, and Rajesh Khanna.

Hamal is also popular for his intellectual image. He has acted in more than 200 films, and Nepali cinema would feel incomplete without his name.

According to the organisers, the festival will screen 88 films from 40 countries and host 10 interactive sessions on various topics. Additionally, 10 Chinese and Russian films not in the competition will also be showcased at the festival.