Chitrajung (Dayahang Rai) carries a gun during his regular strolls around the village. He has a slow, polite way of speaking and never uses the gun—he can’t even shoot a bird with it. The movie opens with a scene where he aims at a bird, but it flies away before he fires the shot. So why does he carry it? We find that out later.

Chitrajung and his wife, Dayarani (Deeya Pun), were married five years ago and have been trying for a baby since. They aren’t really concerned about the situation. However, when both their families start questioning the absence of kids, the pressure of continuing their bloodline piles up on them.

During a visit to the fertility clinic, Chitrajung finds out that he is infertile. In an attempt to shield himself from embarrassment and uphold his perceived masculinity, he falsely attributes the issue to his wife, claiming she is the one who is infertile. The film sheds light on society’s perception of an infertile man, particularly in rural areas. Chitrajung, afraid that society will look down on him, blames his wife even though he loves her very much.

The gun serves as a symbol of his attempt to reassure himself of his masculinity. Though an infertile man may not be any less of a man, but influenced by societal norms and his own fears, Chitrajung begins to undervalue himself. He becomes more grumpy, begins drinking excessively and is constantly weary.

Before he married Dayarani, Chitrajung would steal hens and present them as gifts to his in-laws, claiming he had hunted them himself in order to impress them. Despite being unable to hunt, he believed that a man should possess this skill, leading him to lie and steal. This is another demonstration of his persistent effort to prove his masculinity.

The lying lands his family in further despair. Dayarani takes the news hard and feels a sense of shame. She goes to her family and asks them to find a new wife for Chitrajung. Strangely, when he suggests they adopt—which is a more logical alternative here—she rejects the idea without offering a clear reason. The movie doesn’t delve into the specifics here, leaving the audience wondering about her decision.

Despite the pressure to remarry, Chitrajung rejects the idea. Both Chitrajung and Dayarani stand rigid in their opinions. They sleep on the same bed, but face opposite directions, showing how different their opinions are. Chitrajung, out of fear, burns the fertility clinic paper that says he’s infertile—but he cannot burn his insecurities.

To hide this, he chooses to bring more despair to himself and his wife, highlighting how individuals can sometimes go to extremes to save their image. This tendency is particularly pronounced in villages, where people can be much more direct and unforgiving. Questions like, “You’ve been married for five years, where are the children?” and statements like “Your home looks very incomplete without kids playing in the front yard,” weigh heavily on them. And when a relative says, “Our prestigious bloodline is about to demise because of you,” it makes the couple very sad.

The tension escalates when Chitrajung’s friend, whom he calls mit-jiu (friend) (played by Bijay Baral) deceives him and Chitrajung is blamed for impregnating a village girl. Although Baral’s character is the actual culprit, he avoids taking responsibility. Stuck in a difficult situation, Chitrajung can’t prove his innocence without admitting his infertility. As the villagers berate him, he loses the politeness and coolness we saw at the beginning of the film.

Even though the protagonist of the movie faces big challenges and dilemmas, the tension fails to translate to the audience. The story and the setting are well-executed, with realistic background noises from the villages, including the crackling of fire, singing of birds, cattle running about and woodcutters chopping wood. However, I wasn’t very engaged in the movie due to the absence of strong dialogues and appropriately intense music (during scenes that were supposed to be charged), and a lack of build-up. Also, Chitrajung is strangely emotionless.

Despite being portrayed as a sensitive and polite guy, he lacks emotional depth. A scene where he yells at the villagers, defending himself from false accusations, should have been rich with emotion. However, the monotonous dialogues and fast-paced scene transitions prevent viewers from immersing themselves in the moment. Consequently, there is a lack of tension and anticipation regarding the events that unfold throughout the movie. The issues this film is trying to portray are shown well and the cast is mostly great in their roles, however, like Chitrajung, most characters lack depth

Nepali audiences appreciate social dramas like ‘Dayarani’. However, besides addressing societal issues, filmmakers should also consider the importance of presenting a compelling story. If the presentation matched the quality of the story, the film would have been a more enjoyable watch, but unfortunately, it falls short in this aspect.

Dayarani

Director: Maotse Gurung

Cast: Dayahang Rai, Deeya Pun, Bijay Baral

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Released: 2024

Language: Nepali

Currently in theatres