Film adaptations of popular Nepali novels are few and far in between, and they tend to slip by unnoticed. Novels like Muna Madan, Basanti, Basaain, Teen Ghumti, and Sirishko Phool have been turned into films, some successful but mostly otherwise. By and large, these adaptations did not please crowds neither did they perform well critically. 

A new adaptation seeks to break that pattern—Summer Love, an adaptation of Subin Bhattarai’s breakout debut novel of the same name and its director, Muskan Bhandari, wants to do with the film what the novel did in publishing. 

“I read Summer Love when it came out and was immensely impressed,” Bhandari told the Post. “Because the novel itself is ‘filmy’, I had wanted to make a film out of it. So I was overjoyed when the chance finally came around.”

The adaptation will be faithful to the source material and most of the plot is the same, except for a tweak to the ending, said director Bhandari. Because the film stays true to the source and retains its artistic merit, it will be groundbreaking for a film adaptation of a Nepali novel, he added. 

Summer Love, the novel, is structured around an oft-told love story—boy meets girl, they fall in love and after a while, it goes awry. Although barebones in its storytelling and written in plain prose, the novel was a giant hit when it was first released in September 2012. However, critical reaction was mixed, with critics comparing the novel to the output of Indian cult novelist Chetan Bhagat. Although the novel was massively popular, spawning a sequel, a translation into English and turning writer Bhattarai into an overnight celebrity, many criticised the novel for its preening sentimentality and its conventional lacklustre storyline. 

Summer Love will be director Bhandari’s second film, following his debut Nai Nabhannu La 3. Five teaser posters have been released announcing the release date and the cast. The film features Aavash Piya (as Atit) in his film debut, Rewati Chhetri (as Saya) and Suraj Singh Thakuri (as the writer) along with Namrata Sapkota. The screenplay has been written by Samipya Raj Timalsina. The film will include three songs and has a run time of around two hours and twenty minutes. The release has been tentatively scheduled for February 8, 2019 via Nightingale Entertainment.