Three friends—NG (Bogati), Pappu (Bikram Rai) and Biplov (Aryal)—not only share a flat, but also the dream of making it big in Kollywood. NG wants to be a director, Pappu aspires to be a production manager, and Biplov wants the glory of superstardom. They certainly don’t lack in talent, or zeal for that matter, and are in possession of a script they believe is good enough to grease their path to success. All they need now is a producer, but they haven’t found the right person, and they’re getting more desperate by the day. After a host of ups and downs and futile chases after a financer, they finally come across a possibility in Vishal Vikram Rai (Shyam Rai). Rai is a man with a tragic past, having invested in a film that flopped disastrously, but he decides to take a chance with the three youths. Still, as is the case with all things filmy, the path ahead is rocky, and the rest of the film occupies itself with how the characters navigate the many unexpected and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that come their way.

The first half of Producer is genuinely engaging, what with us getting to witness the relentless efforts of the three friends in their quest to bring their dream to life. There are quite a few funny sequences and only rare dull moments, and the narration too works well in keeping audiences hooked. But as soon as the second half breaks, things suddenly roll downhill. Dotted with unnecessary details and overlong sequences that could’ve done with some chopping, Producer loses whatever charm it first possessed. While starting out as what appeared

to be a well-researched tale that evokes the kind of harsh realities aspiring filmmakers often face, it eventually slides into preposterous and unconvincing plotlines, all coming to a dismal end with a dragged out climax.

As far as the cast is concerned, Bikram Rai and Bogati are the standouts here, both portraying their respective characters with ease and earnestness. But other actors disappoint—Aryal’s non-expressiveness and stilted dialogue delivery proves constantly problematic, for instance, as does Bhattarai’s portrayal.

Producer has the makings of a solid, and certainly original, entertainer, but unfortunately, whatever credit it earns during its first half is squandered thanks to the loss of momentum in the second, with the film ending up a below-average flick overall.