Kabita Nepali Debuts on the Big Screen with 'Eklo' on Poush 17

Kathmandu: Kabita Nepali, who became famous after winning the dance reality show 'Boogie Woogie,' has been expanding her career over the years. Already established as a dancer, she gained fame as a mountain climber by reaching the summit of Mount Everest. She has also served as a judge on various reality shows. Now, a new title is being added to her name: Actress.

Kabita Nepali is making her big-screen debut in 'Eklo,' which is being called Nepal's first science-fiction (sci-fi) movie. 

Currently busy with promotions, Kavita is very excited about her first film. According to her, promoting a movie is much bigger and different than promoting a music video. "During media interviews, it’s not as fun when the focus is more on personal life than the movie itself," she shared.

Kabita believes that 'Eklo' is a unique sci-fi film that will offer a new experience to Nepali audiences. "There are viewers for these types of films all over the world. 'Eklo' will definitely entertain them," she says. 

Releasing on Poush 17, the film features Kabita in a powerful role as a commando named 'Aerial.' Although she calls herself an "accidental actor," she now wants to move forward with her identity as an actress.

Initially, she spoke with director Pradeep Shahi about a small action scene. However, the director was so impressed by the acting and expressions in her audition clip that he expanded her role into a lead character. 

"It’s scary to hear people say your career ends if your first film flops," Kabita says. "I am a bit confused about how the film will perform at the box office and how many viewers will show up."

Pointing out that the film’s making and technical aspects are very strong, she hopes the audience will like it. She shared that filming action scenes in Mustang at an altitude of over 5,000 meters was very challenging. "Shooting all night at such a high altitude causes altitude sickness," she says. "But having a background as an athlete helped me handle the difficult conditions."

Kabita, who wants to play all kinds of roles, says she was attracted to 'Eklo' right from the moment she read the script. "The film has been made exactly like the script," she says. "I am very excited to see the movie, but I am also a little nervous." Her goal now is to establish herself not just as a dancer, but as an actress.

Written and directed by Pradeep Shahi, 'Eklo-1' stars Pradeep Khadka, Vijay Lama, Sunil Thapa, Diya Pun, Benisha Hamal, Dinesh DC, Kabita Nepali, Suraj Singh Thakuri, and many other artists. British actor Jamie Bacon also plays an important role.

The film is produced by the NRN Group, with Binod Subedi 'Kshitiz' as the executive producer. The technical team includes Babu Shrestha (cinematography), Raju Tamang (action direction), Raju Painter (set design), Santosh Lama (art direction), and Dron Prasad Paudel (production design).