'Word of Mouth' Increases Audience for 'Lalibazar' in its Second Week

Kathmandu.The number of viewers watching the movie 'Lalibazar', which has been screening across Nepal since last Baisakh 25, has increased even more in its second week. Due to the strong 'word of mouth' given by the audience to the movie, which is based on a mother-daughter story against the background of the Badi community, the number of shows and audience crowd have increased in the second week. Producer Max Dipesh Khatri stated that the business on Friday and Saturday of the second week also increased compared to the first week.

He said, "After entering the second week, we have an increase in both the number of shows and audience attendance. The increase in audience attendance in the second week compared to the first week proves that the audience is satisfied with our movie and is promoting it themselves. The audience has related to the mother's struggle shown in the film, and we have found many viewers crying."

He mentioned that even activists from the Badi community have been praising the movie after watching it. According to him, the movie received 227 shows across Nepal today. This is higher compared to the previous week.

Viewers who watched the movie said that it has inspired the community to change their condition through the light of education and raise their voice against the oppressors. Found during a hall visit on Saturday, Sushma Shahi Thakuri, the singer of the popular song 'Makai Bari Daryam Daryam', expressed that the scenes in the movie made her emotional.

She said, "The struggle shown in the movie connects with everyone's life story, and it connected with mine too. Some scenes of actress Swastima Khadka, who played the mother in the movie, brought tears to my eyes and made me emotional. The movie shows how a woman succeeds through struggle; I had just come to watch it casually. I am happy to have watched a good movie."

She had come to watch the movie with some of her friends. Similarly, under the mofussil (outside the capital) tour that started from Surkhet, a group consisting of actress Swastima Khadka, actor Rabindra Singh Baniya, Bishal Devkota, and executive producer Pradip Bhattarai is meeting and interacting with the audience in Pokhara today. Actress Swastima Khadka expressed her excitement over the love received from the Badi community during the mofussil tour.

"The people whose story and pain we have portrayed thanked us themselves after watching the movie. The audience has understood our work and the message we intended to deliver through the film, and this itself is our success. We are eager to interact with and get feedback from audiences across Nepal."

In the movie, the work of debut actor Bishal Devkota and debut actress Prasansha Subedi is being praised. Audiences leaving the theater have highly commended the work of both. Viewers have reacted that the movie has further increased the importance of one's mother and responsibility towards a daughter. The audience feedback states that they could not hold back tears regarding the subject of a single mother struggling to educate her daughter.

'Lalibazar' director and writer Yam Thapa said that the speculations made about the movie will become clear after watching it. He mentioned that the movie can be enjoyed comfortably with the whole family. The film stars actors such as Swastima Khadka, Rabindra Singh Baniya, Samaira Thapa, Mukunda Kumar Shrestha, Abhay Baral, Prem Pandey, Pradip Dhakal, Asha Paudel, Govinda Sunar, Abha Aryal, Tara Sharma, Ramesh Badi, Saraswati Adhikari, Janaki Kadayat, Nischal Panthi, and Birbal Chaudhary.

Bishal Devkota and Prasansha Subedi are making their debut through this film. Bishal is a theater actor and director, while Prasansha is known as a Gen-Z activist. Written and directed by director Yam Thapa, the screenplay and dialogues of the movie 'Lalibazar' were jointly prepared by director Thapa and Pradip Bhattarai. Pradip Bhattarai is the executive producer of the film, while Max Dipesh Khatri and Rabindra Singh Baniya are the producers.

The movie features contributions from creative director JB Ruwali, action director Samrat Basnet, director of photography Susan Prajapati, editor Mitradev Gurung, production head Rupak Pratap Adhikari, colorist Renish Phago, VFX Sameer Shrestha and Satyam Rana, background music and mixing Rohit Shakya and Shailesh Shrestha, art director Umesh Chaudhary, publicity designer Royal Bhimsen (Trident), media coordinator CP Jaishi, costume designer and stylist Janaki Kadayat, makeup artist Kavya Thapa, and composers Prakash Saput, Khem Century, and Jayan J Waiba.