Black sunglasses over her eyes, a quiet anger on her face. Dressed in a patterned kurti, she strode toward Maitighar Mandala in visible frustration. Cameras quickly turned towards her, and she was surrounded by people recording videos. Brushing past those taking photos and videos, she joined the protesting group. She tied a black band around her arm and lifted a placard—let cinema speak, let literature be heard, bring out our true stories.

She is actor Swastima Khadka. This was the scene at Maitighar Mandala on Wednesday evening. She had joined a peaceful protest by artists in support of protecting freedom of expression in art, film, and literature.

Alongside her were ‘Lalibazar’ director Yam Thapa, producers Rabindra Singh Baniya, Max Dipesh Khatri, Pradip Bhattarai, costume designer Janaki Kadayat, cinematographer Sushan Prajapati, and others, all standing together at Maitighar.

Actor Khadka plays the lead role in the film. The group held a 15-minute silent protest at Maitighar.

The issue of freedom of expression among filmmakers has come into focus after the Patan High Court ordered that the film ‘Lalibazar’, which was set to release on Friday, should not be screened “for the time being”.

The court issued an interim order to halt the screening after Roshni Nepali, representing the Badi community, filed a petition seeking to stop the release. The order has blocked the film’s screening until May 5.

Amid this, filmmakers have spoken out in support of the ‘Lalibazar’ team, saying there has been interference in creative expression.

At the peaceful and dignified protest held in support of creative freedom, several prominent film figures were present, including Nepal Film Producer’s Association president Uday Subba, general secretary Khagendra Lamichhane, Nepal Film Association president Narendra Maharjan, Film Directors’ Guild of Nepal president Janakdeep Parajuli, and directors Ashok Sharma, Manoj Pandit, Ganesh Dev Pandey, Nischal Basnet, Suyog Gurung, and Raunak Bikram Kandel, among others.

Earlier, director Pandit’s film ‘Dasdhunga’ had also faced interference in creative work, with the UML obstructing its screening at the time. After a long struggle, the film was eventually released in theatres.

Pandit’s ‘Badhshala’ also faced trouble from the army. Similarly, Nischal Basnet’s ‘Loot’ ran into censorship issues, with the censor board cutting parts of its dialogue.

Ganesh Dev Pandey’s film ‘Gajabaja’ too had to struggle for a long time just to secure production approval.

On Wednesday, Dev Pandey too stood at Maitighar Mandala with a pamphlet, a black band tied around his head.

The placard held by Pandit read: “Let cinema and literature move together; let the voice of truth travel far.”