Kathmandu, 17 July:
“Poisoned by the caste system, rendered defective,
Stole away the joy of life, turned us sinful and unjust.
Isn’t the sun and moon the same for all?
Don’t we all breathe the same air?
Then why this discrimination of small and big?
Aren’t all humans of the same kind?”
These evocative lines reflect the reality of the struggles faced by inter-caste couples in our society, and are part of the chorus of a song from the upcoming Nepali film Jadau, which is currently under production.
At the film's announcement event held Thursday in the capital, actors Mukun Bhusal, Niti Shah, Prabhatpal Thakuri, Binod Neupane, and Sandhya Shrestha recited the lyrics penned by Priti Kaur. The emotional recital left the audience in solemn silence. Following this, the chief guest of the program, Chairman of the Film Development Board Dinesh DC, recited the famous poem by Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota—“A person is great by heart, not by caste”—and officially unveiled the title Jadau.
Although the film centers on an inter-caste love story, the director's identity had not been revealed prior to the event. It was announced at the press meet that Jadau will be jointly directed by Kaji Limbu and Anjan Sharma. The movie, to begin filming in the first week of Bhadra (mid-August), is a joint production of Silver Screen Entertainment and Samishran Movies & Entertainment. Bimala Bhandari, Managing Director of Silver Screen, stated that Jadau is inspired by numerous caste-based incidents still prevalent in Nepali society and aims to raise a strong voice against such discrimination.
Co-director Anjan Sharma shared that the film will present real-life stories and societal issues in an entertaining manner. Kaji Limbu, also the scriptwriter, emphasized that Jadau is an attempt to weave together real-life incidents of caste-based discrimination he has experienced and witnessed over many years, expressing confidence that the film will touch the hearts of all Nepalis.
Actors Mukun Bhusal and Binod Neupane said their roles in Jadau are very different from anything they've done before—challenging but full of potential. Actress Niti Shah revealed that she plays a modern character and was deeply drawn to the script and team. She mentioned she is preparing specially for this film. Actor Prabhatpal expressed gratitude for being entrusted with such a significant role and said he is preparing diligently, believing the film will elevate his career. Newcomer Sandhya said she felt honored to share screen space with senior actors in her debut film.
Along with Mukun, Niti, Prabhatpal, Binod, and Sandhya, the cast also includes Richa Sharma, Anil Subba, CP Pudasaini (Dhature), and others. The co-producers of the film include Ramraja Subedi, Om Chemjong, Sumitra Devkota, Narayan Shastri, Gokul KC, Arjun Khadka, Kaji KC, Srijana Sharma, and Manish Sharma. The film is being shot by Shyam Tamang, with Buddhi Lal Majhi (Deva) as the production manager, Chiranjivi Bhandari as the art director, and Milan Shrestha as the action director. Binay Raj Poudel is the chief assistant director, and the music is composed by Babul Giri and Saroj Pokhrel. Shooting will take place in various locations across Dang and Pyuthan districts.
With strong media presence at the event, a lucky draw was conducted where seven journalists were awarded various useful items for daily life. Director Limbu said the "Lucky Seven Gift" concept was introduced to make Jadau a memorable event. The program was hosted by senior journalist and filmmaker Laxman Subedi.
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