By Renuka Dhakal, Kathmandu, May 10: Senior artistes from the Nepali film industry have said that the Nepali cinema sector is worst hit by the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Speaking at the 4th edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF), filmmaker Arjun Kumar said that all the areas of the film industry were hit by the pandemic and other alternatives should be sought by the people engaged in the industry.

Stating that the number of viewers watching movies from other mediums other than YouTube is very low, Arjun said that currently Nepali films were not watched by the audience but were shown persuasively, therefore, there should be an easy medium of watching films in the future.

He emphasised that Nepal Television and other government agencies should make arrangements to broadcast local movies.Net TV director Manoj Agrawal said that the COVID, 19 pandemics could turn the film world into an opportunity. He said that the films could be broadcast through digital platforms.

Manoj said that Nepali movies could now be brought through digital platforms as Netflix and Amazon are doing now. Recalling that the film “Aama” which made a successful and good income from digital platforms, he said that new technology should be found as the alternative to cinema halls in Nepal.

Actress and filmmaker Rekha Thapa said that the digital platform was not suitable for Nepali movies at present as it could not reach all the geographies and people of Nepal. Though filming and production of music videos and small screens have started, filming and production of big films have not started yet, added the actress.

Stating that it would take about six to eight months for the film sector to return to its normalcy even after the lifting of the lockdown, Rekha said that in such a situation, many actors and technicians of the industry were likely to remain totally unemployed and they might face a livelihood problem.

Likewise, senior artiste and filmmaker Ashok Sharma said that film and tourism sectors were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to uplift the cinema sector, the government should support the filmmakers, whose films were not screened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, financially.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the third day of the NIFF, noted filmmaker and director Pratap Subba shared the difficulties he faced while making films. Pratap, who has made hit films like “Paralko Aago”, “Bachna Chahane” recounted the hardships he suffered during the filmmaking. He said that he had succeeded in grooming many artists despite facing a lack of required manpower, capital, and technology.

“My goal has always been to develop and expand the film industry rather than making money from films,” he said. He said that there has been unhealthy competition and unnecessary political interference in the film sector.

Reminding that he had gone crazy thinking of a movie before coming to this area, he said that he had raised chickens and even pigs before entering the field. Pratap Subba also opposed the distortion in the world of cinema nowadays for cheap popularity.