Entertainment
Angling for stardom from the mofussil
Nepal’s entertainment sector, to a large extent, is limited to the bubble Kathmandu has created for itself. In the mofussil, entertainment unfortunately amounts to just a few regional, indigenous-language films—a handful a year, if that many—and sparse staging of dramas.Shankar Acharya
Nepal’s entertainment sector, to a large extent, is limited to the bubble Kathmandu has created for itself. In the mofussil, entertainment unfortunately amounts to just a few regional, indigenous-language films—a handful a year, if that many—and sparse staging of dramas. The rest is just exports from the Capital. Even the success stories we hear from many noted artists invariably start from when they migrated to the Capital. One artist, Rakesh Yadav, however, is determined to break the mould.
Rakesh’s role as a Maoist combatant in the new Khagendra Lamichhane-starrer Dhanapati has been garnering positive response and is likely to draw eyes of directors to feature him in their movies in the future. But Rakesh, still based in his hometown of Birgunj, has other things planned. Rakesh, 34, plans to continue his journey into theatre and films from Birgunj itself, while also contesting in the phase three of the local-level elections for the post of VDC chair.
A theatre enthusiast from a young age, Rakesh later took part in various acting workshop in Birgunj, in which he attracted attention from Kathmandu-based mentors. One such mentor was director Ghimire Yubaraj, who after seeing promise in Rakesh’s craft, asked him to move to the Capital.
Kathmandu proved fruitful for Rakesh. He went on to portray the role of a teacher in the short movie Pavitra, produced by UN; the role of a VDC secretary in the Khagendra Lamichhane directorial radio play Gaabisha Sachib ko Katha; and, of late, the role of an ex-Maoist combatant in Dhanapati. “The play opened up a whole new world for me,” Rakesh says about the radio play. “Not only did I get a chance to hone my skills with eminent artists, I also got a chance to further explore my acting career.”
Among those impressed by his role in Dhanapati was the film’s assistant director Hari Pant, who has roped in Rakesh for a role in his upcoming directorial Mela 2. “Rakesh is a skilled actor of course, but also that he is still based in mofussil, sacrificing the comforts of the Capital, drew me to him,” Pant said.
Now, however, Rakesh has a new priority: To contest in the local elections from his hometown village. “I don’t take politics as a profession, it is a medium to contribute for the betterment of society,” Rakesh says. “I plan to lead my acting career and politics parallelly.”