What’s a normal day like for you?

My day generally starts fairly early, at around 4:30 in the morning. I meditate for an hour, as soon as I’m awake and do some exercise—a combination of physiotherapy and yoga. I then have my tea around  seven, and sit down to arrange my schedule and plans for the rest of the day. And then I get to work.

Are there things you like doing besides photography?

I love watching films and listening to music, Nepali music mostly. Deepak Limbu, Ram Krishna Dhakal and Nima Rumba are some of my favourite artists. I also love Hindi ghazals and Jagjit Singh is, for me, the greatest in that regard. I also like to spend time with family when I’m not working, go on trips with them if possible.

Does this mean you’ve travelled extensively?

My work does take me to a lot of places. I’ve sort of set out a rule for myself: If I go to a new place, it has to be for my photography. Among the spots that I’ve been to, Luxemburg is probably my favourite, mostly because it reminded me so much of Nepal. There were a lot of hilly areas and beautiful scenery. Within Nepal itself, I like going to Pokhara, and I also often find myself in Dhulikhel. I recently trekked all the way to Syangboche with my family and we’d taken a helicopter to see Everest. It was a memorable visit. Eventually, I’d really like to see the Seven Wonders of the World. I’ve only been to two so far—the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower.

You mentioned you like watching movies...what sort of films do you prefer?

Earlier, I’d watch films with the express intent of learning skills to do with photography. There are films I’ve watched around 20 times. But I don’t do that very often these days, and generally end up watching dramas because my wife is fond of such films. And whenever I go watch films with my son, it’ll be action all the time. Personally, I like watching Nepali films. Megha and Jhola were two that I saw recently and I really liked them. I think Samjhana Upreti Rauniar and Yadav Bhattarai did some stellar work.

What about food? What do you like best?

I’m not really a foodie. I’ve been a vegetarian for the past 13 years and eat just the right amount. To be honest, I enjoy cooking more than I enjoy eating. I come from a family of boys, so when I was young, I was like an honorary daughter and spent most of my time in the kitchen. That’s taught me the value of food and the difficulty of preparing it. That’s also why I don’t really make a fuss about food and will eat anything. As for favourites, I do have a soft spot for mushrooms and tama. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments for my mushroom dishes like mushroom chilly and chhoela. 

Is there a memorable incident—either personal or professional—that you would like to share with us?

I’d once gotten an opportunity to meet Pasang Lhamu Sherpa. We’d been to Lukla together and it was quite a fun trip. She was planning on climbing Everest at the time, and she wanted us all to meet after she’d returned. But she lost her life while coming back so we never got to see her again. It’s something I recall often and vividly.

Is there anyone you haven’t worked with that you’d like to?

I really want to work with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. I find her very beautiful and she’s the only person who’s been able to grab the titles of Miss World as well as Miss Photogenic.

Who would you say you look upto as inspiration in your work?

There isn’t a specific person as such. Life and circumstances just conspired to lead me towards photography. It was always a field I liked, but back in the day, there was no Internet and not a lot of other resources to really help me out. I ended up teaching myself to take photos, and learned from my own mistakes. It was only in 1997 that I got an opportunity to be part of a training organised by the British Council and Drik Picture Gallery in Bangladesh. The sessions were facilitated by Daniel Meadows and that was the only formal ‘training’ I’ve received.

What are you working on now?

I’m planning on organising the Photokipa expo this year, and hopefully keep it going in the future. Other than that, I’m also planning on releasing a book based on photography. And I’m also hoping to establish a photography school, but that hasn’t been finalised so far.

If not a photographer, what would you have become?

I would have become a fashion designer or a dancer, most probably. These are things I’ve actually done before. I’ve been designing clothes for a long time and have even knitted sweaters on occasion.