Nepali Films Thrive Despite Challenges

The year 2082 BS remained an eventful and commercially encouraging period for the Nepali film industry. This year, 56 films released in cinemas, reflecting steady growth in both production and audience interest.

The year opened with ‘Bhuthan – The World’s Happiest Man', which was released on April 25. Veteran actor Haribansha Acharya played the lead role in the film, directed by Binod Paudel. The film was expected to perform well, as it was the first Nepali film produced under Hollywood’s SAG-AFTRA guidelines and featured the involvement of several Hollywood technicians. Despite the strong pre-release buzz and international-standard production framework, the film was unable to draw substantial local audiences, collecting only Rs. 2.2 million at the domestic box office.

Despite the extensive annual box-office data, several domestic productions delivered outstanding performances, generating substantial revenue. 

However, the growing political turmoil, including the Gen Z-led protests of September 8 and 9, hit the Nepali film industry hard, which compelled several films to be withdrawn from cinemas. Similarly, no new Nepali films were released in theatres during the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) general election.

Nevertheless, in spite of these political disruptions, the Nepali film industry recorded a commendable and overall satisfactory performance throughout the year.

Box office hits

This year, the Nepali film 'Paran', directed by Deepak Prasad Acharya, became the highest-grossing Nepali film at the domestic box office. According to the Cinepa report on box office collections published by the Film Development Board, Nepal, on April 6, ‘Paran’ earned Rs 177.68 million, with a total of 630,691 tickets sold.

The second highest-grossing film of the year is ‘Aa Bata Aama', directed by Chandra Pant and starring Paul Shah in the lead role. The film has earned Rs. It has earned 131.38 million so far and is still screening in Nepali cinemas.

The adventurous drama film ‘Jerry on Top', directed by Suyog Gurung and starring Anmol KC, Jasita Gurung, and Aachal Sharma, secured third place with earnings of Rs. 122.88 million. Unko Sweater, which grossed Rs. 114.19 million, holds the fourth position. 

Rounding out the top five is Jaari 2, which brought in Rs 62.42 million gross. As a sequel to a previously successful film, the movie managed to retain audience interest and performed strongly in the domestic market.

This year, Balidan, directed by Santosh Sen and acted by Samir Bhatt, was expected to perform strongly at the box office. However, it ended up earning Rs. 51.05 million, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of the year.

Moreover, 'Mohar', starring Paul Shah, Niti Shah and Benisha Hamal, earned Rs. 50.90 million, followed by Haribahadur Ko Jutta, featuring Hari Bansha Acharya in the lead role, which secured Rs. 47.14 million.

The comedy film ‘Magne Raja’ earned Rs. 46.94 million, while 'Maitighar', featuring Dhiraj Magar and Upasana Singh Thakuri in the lead roles, completed the top 10 with earnings of Rs. 41.63 million at the Nepali box office. Since ‘Aa Bata Aama’ and ‘Hami Teen Bhai’ are still running in Nepali cinemas, their earnings may continue to rise.

Revenue collection 

 According to the box office report, Nepali films released between April 14, 2025, and April 1, 2026, generated Rs. 1.084 billion in box office revenue, while the number of cinemagoers who watched Nepali films stood at 3,781,544.

Likewise, the international films collected are worth Rs 1.115 billion, with 3,322,757 tickets sold. The data further show that 458,778 more moviegoers visited cinema halls to watch foreign films this year. Combining both local and foreign films, a total of Rs. This year, the cinema sector generated a total business of Rs. 2.199 billion, indicating a positive outlook for further investment.

Several international films also performed well in Nepali cinemas. Among the top five foreign releases, the South Indian film ‘Kantara: A Legend, Chapter 1’ collected Rs. 123.53 million gross. It was closely followed by ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ with Rs. 122.51 million.

 Likewise, Bollywood love story ‘Saiyara’ collected Rs. 101.41 million, while ‘Dhurandhar 2’ earned Rs. 105.08 million. Meanwhile, the Hollywood film ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ collected Rs. 66.84 million gross in the Nepali cinema market.

In terms of audience attendance, however, Nepali films are ahead. Around 3.78 million tickets were sold for Nepali films, compared to 3.32 million tickets for international films.

Compared with last year, when 61 Nepali films were released in cinemas, films such as ‘Purna Bahadurko Sarangi', ‘12 Gaun', ‘Chhakka Panja 5',  ‘Boksi Ko Ghar', ‘Anjila’ and ‘Pujar Sarki’ stood out as commercially successful productions.

Among them, ‘Purna Bahadurko Sarangi’ set a milestone by becoming the first Nepali film to earn approximately Rs. 500 million in the domestic market and around Rs. 250 million abroad, bringing its total earnings to around Rs. 750 million worldwide.

According to box-office data, last year Nepal’s film market grossed over Rs. 2.6 billion, combining both domestic and foreign films. Of this, Nepali films earned Rs 1.8 billion, while 83 foreign films made Rs. 895.8 million.

Productions and distributions 

New productions, theatres, and distributors are emerging this year, signalling the expansion of the Nepali film industry.

Alongside film production, this year 230 films were registered with the board for production, while 94 films received censor recommendations.

Likewise, eight new cinema halls were registered across the country, bringing the total number of operational halls to 172.

Furthermore, the distribution sector also saw notable activity this year. According to the Board’s details, nine new distributors were registered, taking the total number of distributors to 44.

This year, another remarkable achievement occurred as the Nepal government announced Asoj 15 of the Nepali calendar as National Film Day. With a history of 60 years in the Nepali cinema sector, Asoj 15 was chosen as National Film Day to mark the release date of the first Nepali movie produced in Nepal, 'Aama' (Mother). 

In terms of actors, this year veteran performers such as Nir Shah and Hari Bansha Acharya took the limelight in the Nepali film industry. 

Nir Shah played the lead role in 'Paran', which emerged as the highest-grossing Nepali film of the year. The film topped the yearly box office and became the fourth highest-grossing film in Nepali film history. After ‘Purna Bahadur Ko Sarangi', ‘Kabaddi 4: The Final Match', and ‘12 Gaun', ‘Paran’ secured the fourth spot in the all-time Nepali box office rankings, according to official reports.

Another veteran actor, Hari Bansha Acharya, stood out and shone in the film industry throughout the year. He played lead roles in two films.

The year began with 'Bhuthan – The World’s Happiest Man', in which he starred in the lead, and he also played the main role in Haribahadur Ko Jutta.

Likewise, this year proved fortunate for actor Paul Shah. After spending two years in prison over rape allegations, he was unable to revive his career last year. However, this year, his two films performed well at the box office. Through ‘Mohar’ and ‘Aa Bata Aama', he re-established himself in the Nepali film industry, as both films achieved outstanding commercial success.

This year was also favourable for Anmol KC, as his film ‘Jerry on Top’ performed well at the box office, and his acting was widely praised by young audiences.

Likewise, other actors, including Bipin Karki, Pradeep Khadka, Najir Husen, Saugat Malla, and Dayahang Rai, also made significant headlines due to their performances in films.

After an eight-year hiatus, superstar Rajesh Hamal returned to the screen with the Nepali action thriller ‘Narasimha Avatar', but the much-anticipated comeback failed to reclaim his former glory. The film earned only Rs. 18.25 million.

Female actors

In terms of female actors, this year women made a remarkable impact in the Nepali film industry. Actresses such as Miruna Magar, Jasita Gurung, Aachal Sharma, Upasana Singh Thakuri, Barsha Siwakoti, Keki Adhikari, Surakshya Panta, and Niti Shah played major roles, gaining attention from both audiences and critics.

The performance of Jasita Gurung in ‘Jerry on Top’ played a significant role in the film’s success. She impressed audiences and even film critics with her powerful acting. Many said that her performance was the backbone of the film’s success.

 Likewise, Miruna Magar’s acting in ‘Unko Sweater’ also impressed the audience. As in previous years, Magar once again captivated viewers with her powerful performance.

This year, female direction was represented by director Samundra Bhatta, who helmed the film Gunyo Cholo: The Dress, addressing transgender issues in cinema. Although the film earned Rs. 6.75 million at the box office, it received critical acclaim, with Bhatta’s work widely praised. Likewise, the Nepali film industry welcomed another female director, Ekta Poudel, who made her directorial debut with the film 'Harsha'. She also penned the story for the film.

Overall, the year highlighted that female actors and filmmakers are now securing lead roles and recognition on par with their male counterparts.

Overall, the Nepali film industry in 2082BS demonstrated resilience, creativity, and steady growth despite political disruptions and high expectations.

Furthermore, this year, films that focus on social themes and deeply convey emotions have largely attracted audiences to the theatres rather than other genres’ films. 

Likewise, the combination of innovative storytelling, rising talent, and growing audience engagement promises an exciting year for Nepali cinema. 

Most importantly, the long-held narrative that the younger generation does not watch Nepali films has gradually begun to change. People from all age groups are now increasingly enjoying Nepali films over foreign productions, showing a clear shift in audience preference. 

This also demonstrates that the youth no longer ignore Nepali cinema. With strong storylines, compelling cinematography, skilled direction, sharp editing, and flawless presentation, Nepali films are successfully attracting audiences back to local cinemas.

(The author is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)