Rajita Dhungana caught up with the director to discuss Jhola, his career and other interests besides. Excerpts:

How did Jhola come about?

When I read the original text by Krishna Dharabasi 12 years ago, I instantly knew that I wanted to turn it into a film. But it wasn’t until 2006 or 2007 that I pursued the idea in earnest, which started with a great deal of research. It took me a long time to really understand the workings of the Sati system that was prevalent in Nepal, and to form a creative team. After everything was sorted, we finally started filming, and it took about two years to complete.

Are you happy with the kind of response the film has gotten?

The film saw a fairly good response at the box office, which was more than I’d expected, commercially speaking. But I do wish more people had seen the film. It’s probably a sign of our own weakness that we couldn’t take it to a wider audience, something we’re hoping to remedy by holding charity shows at schools and colleges. We’d recently organised screenings at Paanchthar and Argakhanchi and it was received very well there. And we’re planning to hold screenings in rural areas in the near future.  

What do you like doing besides your work in films?

I did my master’s in Mass Communication so I give guest lectures at different colleges every now and then. I like to read newspapers and stay updated on whatever is going on in society. I’m also associated with a magazine called Music Diary. Other than that, I enjoy researching into culture. Earlier, I was involved in making music videos for lok dohori songs, but after Jhola, I haven’t been able to really give time to that. I would like to resume it at some point, though.

As a filmmaker, you must watch a lot of films. What kind do you prefer?

I think film is one of the most powerful mediums of communication, and each project should incorporate a social message or another. That’s the sort of films I like to watch—ones that are based on reality, those that leave a lasting impact on audiences’ minds. As for actors, I’ve always admired Charlie Chaplin, and think he’s one of the greatest actors of all time. I’ve also become very fond of Deepak Chhetri and Raj Timilsina after seeing how wonderful they were in Jhola. Then there’s Anurag Kashyap’s direction; he always has something new to offer in every new film. I thoroughly enjoyed Gangs of Wasseypur.

Who do you look up to as a source of inspiraion?

In the almost two decades that I have been in the media, I’ve seen and done a lot of things. I’ve met a lot of people along the way, and they’ve all inspired me in some way or the other. There are also others that I’ve met in my day-to-day life who have had an impact on me. It’s not hard to find inspiration if you know how and where to look.

Where does the Nepali film industry stand at present?

Although strides have certainly been made, I still feel the industry as a whole lacks professionalism. I wish it was only people who are really passionate about making good films who came to work in this sector. I also believe projects should not be directed towards specific groups, but made so that they apply to all sections of society. People tend to think movies need to incorporate violence and sex to sell, but I don’t agree. There are so many stories one can find around the country that could make for excellent films. It’s important that we learn to look inwards now, rather than try to copy from Hollywood and Bollywood. That’s the only way we can up the standards of our films.

What would you change about your approach to work?

Oh, there are quite a few things. One would be becoming better acquainted with technology—I don’t have a lot of knowledge in that area, so I have to rely a great deal on other people. I’m also fairly emotional, which means I can be very stubborn when I want things done in a particular way. If I could change those aspects about myself, I’d be happy.

Plans for the future?

We’re planning to dub Jhola in Hindi and Bhojpuri, so we’ll be doing that soon. We’d actually screened the film at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata and people really liked it, so we thought that dubbing it could be a good way to reach audiences in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, where locals can relate to the story. We’re also showing the film in the US, and hopefully in other places soon. Other than that, I’m thinking about making films around the issues of girl-trafficking and the materialistic nature of modern society. But there’s a lot of fleshing out and planning to do before anything can happen.