Poudel to make ‘Bhuthan’ in America

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 6: Director of National Award winning film Bulbul, Binod Poudel, has announced the title of his upcoming movie and released its poster.

The film, titled ‘Bhuthan’ in Nepali and ‘The World’s Happiest Man’ in English, features a cast including popular actor Haribansh Acharya, Dayahang Rai, Anuradha Majumdar, Puja Chand-Lama, Richa Ghimire, Joes Pandey, Aditi Pyakurel, Tom Krane, and Bimal Subedi.

Rajendra Thakurathi, known for his Hollywood works like ‘Onward’, ‘Smash-hit Barbarian’, and the ‘Detective Knight Series’ is also involved as a producer. Thakurathi has collaborated in more than 50 Hollywood films.

According to a press release issued by Awaken Production, one of the production companies of the film, Thakurathi mentioned the potential inclusion of a famous Hollywood actor, but finalisation is pending due to an ongoing artist’s strike in the US.

‘The World’s Happiest Man’ previously selected for the Busan Film Festival in 2019, narrates the struggles of Bhutanese refugees in the US who initially sought refuge in India and later resided in Nepal for several years.

The team had also approached Bollywood actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Adil Hussain, sound designer Bishwodeep Chaterjee, AR Rahman, and actors from China, the US, and the UK. They liked the script and had agreed to work on it, as mentioned in the press release.

According to the press release, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher was initially finalised for the lead role, however, due to Kher’s creative interferences, the film unit terminated his collaboration. Kher wanted his character to be more influenced by Bollywood, as mentioned in the press release. 

The film, set to be shot in Ohio, USA, will be produced in both Nepali and English languages, with a completion target in 2024 and a release scheduled for 2025. 

Susan Prajatai will direct the cinematography of the film while Anjan Khadka serves as its editor. 

Star Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of ‘La La Land’ in 2017, serves as an associate producer, informed the press release. 

The primary producers include Rajendra Thakurathi, Amitabh Joshi, and Abeeral Thapa, with executive producers L.N. Adhikari and Kaushila Khanal Karmacharya.

The film is a collaborative effort between America’s Mad Monkey Films, Dog Eared Fixture and Nepal’s 

Awaken Production.