Nepali butterfly releasing

Illustration/Uday Mohite

There are two kinds of independent filmmaking today. One is international co-productions that often go through script or co-production labs and gain a certain polish. The other is locally funded films, closer to their roots, that have a rough hewn truth about them - and can also yield gems that are no less precious. Sujit Bidari's debut feature Aina Jhyal Ko Putali (Butterfly on the Windowpane) in Nepali, is one such, that releases in theatres in Nepal on September 9. The film was at the Busan International Film Festival (Korea) in 2020 and Fribourg International Film Festival, competed at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA, Australia), and Bidari also won Best Director at the Dhaka International Film Festival. If Min Bahadur Bham's Kalo Pothi (The Black Hen) was a polished, Nepali international co-production that won the Fedeora Award at the Venice Film Festival, Aina Jhyal ko Putali is a more homegrown film that did the festival circuit - and goes straight to the heart.

Aina Jhyal Ko Putali is the tender story of a sister and brother - older sister Bidya, 13, and little brother Basanta Adhikari, growing up in a Nepali village - as the brother sees his elder sister struggle to follow her dreams of studying further and becoming a poet. It is a beautiful film, feminist in spirit, with superb performances from a cast partly led by non-actors. The film, with autobiographical elements, is Bidari's critique of Nepali society and how it suppresses women even today.

Getting a theatrical release in the COVID/post-COVID era is a big achievement even for Bollywood; it is a heroic feat for the much smaller Nepali film industry, that fights Bollywood, Hollywood and South Indian films in its theatres including RRR (Telugu) and KGF Chapter 2 (Kannada). There is a reference to this in the film, as the kids watch films in a video parlour with posters of Deewaar with Amitabh Bachchan and Kanchhi, an old Nepali hit featuring Nepali star Dayahang Rai, where the ticket prices are Rs 5 for a Hindi film and Rs 15 for a Nepali film.

Written and directed by Bidari with a sure hand, the film finely observes the children's growing up years that evoke innocence, as well as how patriarchy suppresses women's dreams. Kanchan Chimariya as Bidya, Dinesh Khatri as Basanta, and Siru Bista as the mother, are all good. Bidya accepts her fate, but not without a fight: she does the cooking and household chores, yet is the school topper. Basanta is a pain in the neck - and there is delicious black humour as he steals money from the temple to pay for film tickets. They are raised by a hardworking, stoic single mother. Their father is a drunken oaf who is usually missing, and when he comes home, he steals grain to fund his booze. The grain was meant to pay for Bidya's higher education, and after a fight, it is wrenching when she calmly unpacks her bags.
But Navaraj, Bidya's classmate, who stands first - Bidya comes second - apologises to her in a letter, knowing that the first prize scholarship would have funded her higher education, and alerts her about a poetry competition whose prize money could fund it instead. His character suggests there may be a sensitive younger generation of men who want to help women achieve their dreams.

Bidari crafts scenes conveying much, but with economy. Kanchan Chimariya is a revelation, and the ensemble cast is good too. Amar Maharjan's cinematography is unobtrusively observant, and Kiran Shrestha's editing keeps us engaged. Kudos to the producers Icefall Productions and Local Cinema, in association with Arko Film: Aakash Poudel, Prabin Syangbo, Sujit Bidari and Ram Krishna Pokharel, with Sushant Shrestha as co-producer. The superb women's crew includes Kala Sangroula's production design and Janaki Kadayat's costume design. Thanks to the film, also, for gifting us the evocative phrase, "He's lazy as a python!" Let's hope the film comes on a streaming platform with wider access.

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com