Mother-Daughter Story in 'Lalibazaar' Trailer

Kathmandu. The trailer for the film 'Lalibazaar', produced by Shatkon Arts, has been released. In the trailer unveiled today during an event in Kathmandu, the story portrays the relationship between a mother and daughter, featuring actress Swastima Khadka in the lead role. Khadka appears in the role of a woman from the Badi community. Along with Swastima, the trailer features Rabindra Singh Baniya, Mukunda Kumar Shrestha, child artist Samaira Thapa, and debut actors Prashansha Subedi and Bishal Devkota.

Actress Khadka stated that 'Lalibazaar' is a story of a mother's struggle and success. She said, "Lalibazaar has become a very special film for me. It will be among those films of mine that will be remembered for a long time and discussed for years to come. I am very excited to lead this story and present a mother's tale."

Actor Rabindra Singh Baniya mentioned that the film covers various dimensions of a woman's life. "We have expressed the film's story within a specific setup, but it is a story of a mother and daughter. Compulsion, trust, struggle, and success are shown in this," he said.

Shatkon Arts, which includes producer Max Dipesh Khatri, actor Rabindra Singh Baniya, and director Pradip Bhattarai, has already produced successful films like 'Jatra', 'Jatrai Jatra', 'Mahapurush', and 'Mahajatra'. However, for the upcoming film 'Lalibazaar', director Pradip Bhattarai has handed over the directing responsibility to Yam Thapa.

"The story of Lalibazaar was brought by director Thapa himself; therefore, we felt he could do something new with it and offered him the direction. Currently, we feel we made the right decision; the film blends the director's mind with his vision and understanding," said executive producer Pradip Bhattarai.

Director Thapa has previously directed subject-oriented films like 'Rajja Rani', 'Hurray', and 'Meri Mamu', and has worked on the scripts of films like 'Kohinoor', 'Anjila', and 'Paran'. Shatkon Arts' collaboration with director Thapa happened during story discussions.

"Shatkon Arts was preparing to make a film on a Terai-based subject, and we met for discussions during that process. During the talk, Rabindra Singh Baniya said they would invest if they found a good story. I presented the mother-centric subject I had, and within a few days, we became confident that we could work on it. That is how Lalibazaar started," said director Thapa.

After the film's script was nearly finalized, director Bhattarai proposed naming the film 'Lalibazaar' during a visit to the filming location, to which everyone agreed. Director Thapa stated that the film was prepared as a story of a mother and daughter.

"I have given a cinematic form to a story I have been seeing and understanding for a long time. This is a story of a mother and daughter who belong to the Badi community. The film depicts a part of our society. I am confident that this film will compel us to think about social issues," Thapa said.

The first released song of the film 'Mayalai Ke Diu Ma Baina' and the second song 'Mitho Sansar' have been liked by the audience. Both songs have become popular on YouTube as well as TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.

The release date for the film 'Lalibazaar' is set for  2083, Baishakh 18. Filmed in Rajapur, Bardiya, the movie stars Swastima Khadka, Rabindra Singh Baniya, Samaira Thapa, Mukunda Kumar Shrestha, Abhay Baral, Prem Pandey, Pradip Dhakal, Asha Poudel, Govinda Sunar, Abha Aryal, Tara Sharma, Ramesh Badi, Saraswati Adhikari, Janaki Kathayat, Nischal Panthi, Birbal Chaudhary, and others.

Bishal Devkota and Prashansha Subedi are debuting through this film. Bishal is an artist working as an actor and director in theater, while Prashansha is popular as a Gen-Z actress. Prepared with director Yam Thapa's story and direction, the script and dialogues of 'Lalibazaar' were jointly prepared by director Thapa and director Pradip Bhattarai. The trailer has been released through Shatkon Arts' YouTube channel.

Pradip Bhattarai is the executive producer, while Max Dipesh Khatri and Rabindra Singh Baniya are the producers. The film features creative director JB Ruwali, conflict director Samrat Basnet, cinematography director Sushan Prajapati, editor Mitradev Gurung, production head Rupak Pratap Adhikari, colorist Renish Phago, VFX by Samir Shrestha and Satyam Rana, background music and mixing by Rohit Shakya and Shailesh Shrestha, art director Umesh Chaudhary, publicity designer Royal Bhimsen (Trident), costume designer and stylist Janaki Kadayat, makeup by Kabya Thapa, and music by Prakash Saput, Khem Century, and Jayan J Waiba.