The films currently being produced in Kollywood can be divided into two schools off-hand. Those structured around traditional forms (with a few songs and dances, with larger-than-life characters and, maybe, a few fight sequences), coming out as bland simulacrums of mainstream Bollywood flicks; and the other represented by ones that are more or less bounded by the strictures of realism, with characters who come off on screens as they are in the society, represented by such films as Kalo Pothi and Seto Surya. The film Dying Candle is of the latter variety. Having won accolades in the international film circuit, the film is now open for audiences nationwide. The Post’s Timothy Aryal talks with its director Naresh Kumar KC about the film and the current world of Kollywood. Excerpts: 

With Dying Candle, you have brought to the screens a story that is seldom told in mainstream Nepali cinema: the story of the love between two siblings. How did you come about the idea? 

It was spontaneous. I was writing a script that was based on a short story by O Henry, The Gift of the Magi, which tells the story of a struggling couple’s undying love, keeping in mind that I would adapt it to suit a Nepali context. But as I was writing, the script took a strange turn; it ended up being a story of love between two siblings. Then I thought that too would be a good idea. 

Dying Candle has received plaudits in the international film circuit. At a time when Nepal’s place in world cinema is almost non-existent, how has Dying Candle contributed to breaking the mould? 

One thing Dying Candle doesn’t do is explore the socio-political developments in the country of the time in which the film is set. It’s a story set in just one evening in a rural Nepali village with four characters. And with the use of cinematic techniques, we have tried to bring forth the unexpressed emotions the characters are grappling with. 

In doing so, I think the film evokes the lifestyle, culture and values of Nepalis of the time at large. 

Yes, there’s diversity—cultural, ethnic, and linguistic—among us, but then, we also boast a unique Nepali identity. Through Dying Candle we have presented it to the world employing whatever skills and resources we had.

In recent times, following international exposure for films like Kalo Pothi and Seto Surya, there has been discussions on whether we are trying to put more focus on the demands of international audience rather than audiences at home. How viable do you think is it to cater to the curiosities of both kinds of audiences? 

When I am making a film I am not thinking about the audience. I get an idea, and then I try to treat it as honestly as I can, with whatever skills and resources I have at hand. With Dying Candle I strived to attain a unity of time, location and action.

As far as catering to the demands of the audience is concerned, in Nepal, we have a thriving mainstream scene which produces films which attract audiences who go to the theatre for three-hours of entertainment. And that’s okay. One thing these films don’t do, however, is present Nepal’s uniqueness to the international audiences. 

I think Dying Candle has to break a wall if it is to appeal to the mainstream audience. We have offered what we could and if the audience likes it then, we have succeeded. 

What do you think makes a film successful? 

Back in 2007, when I got into Oscar College, and learnt about the development of cinema, I developed a sense of responsibility and internalised that making money is not my ultimate goal. Box Office alone does not determine a film’s success. If I were to establish myself as someone who did something different with cinema, I would have to pass on the lure of money and commercialisation. 

I feel my film is successful if it will be remembered for 10 or 20 years from now and if it manages to find a place in Nepal’s cinematic history. It is also successful if the film can give the generation to come something to wonder about. 

However, from the business point of view, if a film is good but it renders the producers and directors bankrupt, it can’t be perceived as successful. Balance is key here; we should aspire to make good films that at least bypass the breakeven point. 

What is it that you want to achieve with Dying Candle? 

I wanted to make Dying Candle a movie that captures the unexpressed emotions of its characters, and to give an outlet to express them. For which, I haven’t missed even the most mundane of things, such as characters milking cows, which could have been edited out for length but I felt it would provide the film an air of authenticity and would help better express the struggle the characters go through in rural Nepal. I think the Nepali market is saturated with movies that portray fantasies that help the audience forget about their day to day lives, I have tried to go in the opposite direction. Realism, I believe, is the need of the hour.