It is rare to see a celebrated artist in a short movie. Most of the time, Nepali short movies feature unknown faces or people who have not earned enough fame. But, in a recent short movie, Bardaan, you see two of the most popular Nepali actors. Namrata Shrestha and Dayahang Rai are cast as the protagonists in the short movie.
Likewise, there are also other artists that are well known in the Nepali film industry, namely, Loonibha Tuladhar, Prabin Khatiwada and Jayananda Lama.
The 24-minute movie directed by Dipendra Lama begins with the voice of Loonibha Tuladhar, who appears as a radio jockey. She is doing an interview with the protagonist Pushpa Thapa (Namrata Shrestha), a suicide survivor. Then, the short movie revolves around the story of Pushpa, showing what made her kill herself and how she survived it.
Spending less than half an hour on the movie, in the end, you will realise that there indeed was a reason for the star actors to work for this, for the movies had a cause to advocate for.
Relatable story
These days many suicide cases take place due to different reasons such as a failure in a relationship. The protagonist of this short movie goes through a similar failure. As she is about to kill herself, another protagonist Uttam (Dayahang Rai) sees it and convinces her to withdraw the attempt.
Then, the story begins. Watch the movie to know what happens next. Anyway, it is not just a formula love story.
The movie can be relatable to thousands of individuals who tried killing themselves due to the failure in a relationship. The movie shows how mental health patients are treated in our society. It also depicts the misconception regarding mental health that exists in our society.
But, the movie shows a girl who was trying to kill herself some hour ago is now flirting with some other newly met guy. That looks a bit unusual to me, but the way how Uttam is making Pushpa feel good is impressive.
Bardaan, cinematographed by Shailendra D Karki, does not have notable fancy and technical shots. They are simple and easy on the eye. Likewise, its background score, composed by Shailesh Shrestha, is light and compatible with every scene of the movie.
Life is beautiful
Through the setting of a radio interview, the movie gives a lot of important information regarding suicide. It teaches the way to deal with mental health problems also.
“I feel like we have had wrong schooling, because we are taught to win, to always be happy ever since we’re little children. But, that’s not possible,” says Pushpa at the end of the radio interview, and it in fact is the central message the movie wants to give the audience. “It’s okay to be sad and it’s okay to fail. I think we should be taught how to get back up if we fail.”
“And, if we learn these things, I think life is beautiful! It’s because life’s never the way we fancy. And when you accept that fact, it’s amazing.”
Overall, the short movie is worth your precious 24 minutes.
