The Youngest Member of 'Ek Mutthi Baadal': Aviral Pratap Adhikari

Aviral Pratap Adhikari is the youngest member of the 'Ek Mutthi Baadal' family. He was the youngest not only in the film but also within the entire shooting unit. However, Aviral was actually the first person to audition for 'Ek Mutthi Baadal'.

The film, which passed through various global labs before heading to production, spent 6–7 years refining the screenplay into its current form. During this process, the production team auditioned Aviral for the character of the brother.

"I was only 17 years old at that time. I had neither knowledge of acting nor prior experience. I performed a two-page scene using my own judgment and sent it in. The director, Sahara Didi, told me she would get back to me later. The news finally came five years after that. After auditioning once more, I finally got the opportunity to work on this film," Aviral shared.

He considers the day he was selected through the audition as an unforgettable moment in his life. This is because the film did not just fulfill his dream of acting; it also gave him his first airplane flight.

Aviral says, "I flew on a plane for the first time when going to Pokhara for the shooting of this film. It felt like an adventure. Besides that, the experience on the set of this film remains memorable. On the day shooting ended, I even became emotional and cried."

That said, Aviral inherited his artistic qualities as a legacy. The famous poet and lyricist Chhetra Pratap Adhikari is his grandfather, while program director and commentator Aman Pratap Adhikari is his father. Following this family legacy, he stepped into films via theater. After 'Ek Mutthi Baadal', he also performed a significant role in 'Paari Butwol'.

In the film, Aviral plays an only son and a pampered brother to his sisters, but in real life, he is not quite such a pampered son or brother. At home, he is a brother to his sister, but his relationship with her is different from the one he shares with Usha Rajak and Aanchal Sharma, who play his sisters in the movie.

"The way I speak off-screen is different, but I have spoken in a distinct manner in the film. Growing up with a sister at home made it easier to understand the brother-sister dynamics in the movie. However, that brother is one person while the brother in the film is another," Aviral said.

Nevertheless, Aviral says many siblings will relate to his character. According to him, not just his character, but every member within the film has captured the essence of different members of our own families. Aviral believes that no matter which character they watch, the audience will feel they have seen someone like them. He insists that people should watch 'Ek Mutthi Baadal' for this very experience.

"The screenplay itself feels as if it was written after researching families all across Nepal. That is why every character feels real. The brother's character is even more special," Aviral shares with a laugh.

Written and directed by Sahara Sharma, 'Ek Mutthi Baadal' is set to be released on Jestha 1. The film stars Nisha Sharma, Shekhar Chapagain, Aanchal Sharma, Usha Rajak, Manish Niraula, Gaurav Bista, Sahayog Raj Adhikari, Bhima Mainali, Asmita Gautam, and others.