As the annual Dashain holidays approach, the Nepali movie industry is gearing up for a busy festive season. Much like holiday seasons around the world—Christmas and Thanksgiving for Hollywood and Eid and Diwali for Bollywood—Dashain is considered the most profitable season for feature film releases in Nepal, with audiences taking advantage of public holidays to flock to theatres. 

This year, releasing on the day of Fulpati are two heavy hitters, Mero Paisa Khoi, a feature film directed and produced by Roj Rana, and Chhakka Panja 2. 

Mero Paisa Khoi, a romantic-comedy, features actors Saugat Malla, Barsha Raut, Robin Tamang, Buddhi Tamang, and Chhulthim Gurung. Competing in the box offcie with Mero Paisa Khoi is Chhakka Panja 2, made by the team behind 2016’s runaway blockbuster Chhakka Panja. The producers have, however, said that the film is not a sequel. 

Chhakka Panja team is currently on a nationwide promotional tour. During a programme in Damak earlier this week, the film’s director Deepashree Niraula said that even though different in their plotlines, the two films—Chhakka Panja and Chhaka Panja 2—share similarities in the subject they explore. “I believe we have been able to repeat the same folksy flavour with this film. The film deals with serious issues, but we have approached it with lightheartedness, as we did with Chhakka Panja,” Niraula said. 

Likewise, Mero Paisa Khoi team has also scaled up its promotional activities before its imminent release. 

Kedar Prasad Parajuli, a film distributor based in Pokhara, said that irrespective of the quality of the film, box office returns see a massive boost during the festive seasons. “The real business starts after the day of the Tika, and stretches into Tihar. Usually, audiences come to theatres with the entire family,” he said. “In the vacation between Dashain and Tihar, the theatres pull in almost 100 per cent occupancy. We are hopeful that this year too will reap rich rewards for the industry.”