'Visa Girl' to release in India

Although the much publicized Nepali movie ‘Visa Girl’ couldn’t do good business in Nepal, the producers are trying their luck in India. On the occasion of Christmas (December 25, 2012), the movie will be premiered in Gangtok, Sikkim.

The lead actors in ‘Visa Girl’, Binaya Shrestha and Richa Sharma are also the co-producers of the movie. The movie directed by Prachanda M Shrestha also features Karma, Reshamdas Shrestha, Menuka Pradhan, Reema Bishowkarma and Saloni Rajbhandari in addition to Bina
ya and Richa, in main roles. 

Tulsi Ghimire – Nepali director

One of the successful directors of the Nepali film industry, Tulsi Ghimire apart from being a good film director he is equally successful screenwriter, editor, cameraman, actor and lyricist.

Tulsi Ghimire was born in Sindeybong, Kalimpong, Darjeeling in India in 1951 (BS 2008 Ashad 31). Tulsi is the eldest son of Dhojman Ghimire and Narbada Ghimire and has two younger brothers and a sister. Tulsi Ghimire completed Bachelor of Arts from Kalingpong College. He entered film line after working in a job for some time.

He is married to Bharati Ghimire (Gazmer), a well known singer in many of his films. His brother Shrawan Ghimire is also a successful film producer. Tulsi’s children Bhawana Ghimire and Panchami Ghimire, have also acted in a Nepali movie for children “Swarg Ko Pari”.

Tusli Ghimire initially moved to Mumbai from Kalimpong in 1974 to work in the Indian film industry, Bollywood. Tulsi’s mentor and Bollywood editor Kamlakar Karkhanis had advised him to make Nepali movies at that time. Tusli debuted in Nepali movie industry by starting the Nepali movie “Bansuri” in 1981 as the director. Tulsi Ghimire made the second movie, Kusume Rumal, on his own story story and it was very successful.

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Tulsi Ghimire, life in his own words

Following text is compiled from an interview of Tulsi Ghimire. In the text he has explained how he has started his career in the movie industry and his initial struggle.

***

I had a feeling that I had to be popular in any cost. From the childhood I was attracted to movie sector. Born in Kalingpong in India, I used to go to the shootings that were done in the area. My parents had suggested me to become a person who is “understood by the king and known to the people”.

Childhood

In my childhood I studied in Mani Memorial Primary School in Sindebung. Although there were classes for up to grade 4, I left the school after second grade.  In the school, they had an unique way of teaching the alphabets – the teacher used to write the alphabets in floor and we used to lay small pebbles on top of it. From grade 3 to grade 11 I studied in Scottish University Mission Institute (SUMI). Up to grade 5 we didn’t wear any footwear. There was no school dress.

Bombay (Mumbai) Journey

In around 1973 there was a shooting of a Hindi movie, “Romeo in Sikkim” in Sikkim. I went there and met the cameraman to tell that I was crazy to get into film making. He told, “If you are crazy enough why don’t you come to Bombay?” At the age of 22 I went to Bombay to enter the film industry. I went to the cameraman’s home. But, his house wasn’t what I expected. He told me to ‘struggle’.

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Should 'Jannat 2' be banned in Nepal?

No, we don’t think so!

Nepali film critics and Film Development Board of Nepal think that a Bollywood movie "Jannat2" be banned in Nepal. The movie shows a scene about illegal weapons being supplied from Pakistan to India through Nepal. The censor board however hasn’t found anything fishy on the scene and has permitted the movie to be shown in Nepal.

In the modern time, some critics think censoring a movie in itself is a questionable practice. Censoring or banning a movie only on the fact that Nepal is shown to be a  transit point of some weapon doesn’t qualify as an issue to
be given of much importance. We all know the lack of proper security in our transit point. Hiding the truth doesn’t solve problem.

We have a few questions to the people who think the movie should be banned:

• Does banning a movie based on one of it’s scene based on a fiction plot give a good message?
• Shouldn’t the government learn from such movies and try to stop such practices, if any?
• Do everything shown in a movie is true ? If it can be untrue, why debate on it?

Nepal or India, who is grabbing land of other nation?

Usually, it is India that grabs Nepali land. Indian nationals used to be heard of taking benefit of the open Nepal-India border to take over land.

But this time, the story is different according to an Indian television news channel. The channel claims that thousands of villagers in seven border districts of Bihar have lost their land and homes to encroachers from Nepal – triggering a significant rise in violence and conflict along the state’s border with the Himalayan Kingdom.

On Thursday, the online news of CNN-IBN, a prominent Indian news channel, reported :

The land grab, it appears, has its genesis in a warped century old border treaty. The Indian authorities’ inability to ensure pillars demarcating the border stays intact, making it worse.

According to CNN-IBN news, villager Rashud Ansari, has said, Nepal is occupying the land which should be part of Bihar as all the papers for that land are with India and are from India. The local authorities are well aware about this issue but their hand seems tied down. It further writes, “A lot of people here are leaving their homes and are going to other towns because of the amount of problem Nepal is creating in illegally occupying our land,” said Ramesh Kamgaar, a villager.

The report further said, the 600 Km long open Indo-Nepal border is being patrolled by the Sashatra Seema Bal or SSB, India’s border security force. Yet, pillars demarcating the border are regularly uprooted.

CNN-IBN cited Indian intelligence reports which estimates as below: -

716 International border pillars have disappeared along the Indo-Nepal border.

• 281 pillars out of 716 have been uprooted in Madhubani district,
• 116 pillars from East Champaran district,
• 61 from West Champaran and
• 3 from Araria district.

The report referred the Sugauli treaty signed by the British in 1816, declaring the river Mahakali as the border between the two countries and said the treaty is meaningless as the river has changed course several times southwards into Indian land.

Sai Baba breathed his last breath

The Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba has passed away.

After complications related to heart and respiration, Sai Baba was hospitalized on March 28. He didn’t recover and passed away on Sunday morning at 6:25 am.

Sathya Sai Central Trust, in a media conference held at 11:00 am, has announced that the body will be kept in display in Sai Kulwant Hall on Monday and Tuesday, before performing the final rituals.

The 85-year-old spiritual leader was considered an incarnation of God by many of his followers. Before the final announcement a minister Geeta Reddy and other senior government officials held a conference. The state government has deployed more than 6,000 police
to the town for security of the general people and VIPs.

India Won the World Cup – Poonam Pandey suggested Paris for the ‘private show’

The Indian cricket fans are happy for their win after loosing for the last 27 years. But, some are disappointed due to Poonam Pandey’s decision to respect the ‘Indian values’ and not strip in front of them – sort of an April Fool’s joke.

The Indian cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup after 28 years. And, as promised Poonam Pandey is planning a strip tease show for the team if BCCI approves and arranges for the feat. Poonam however was forced to switched off her phone when she got variety of calls, some full of threaten and others requesting her to fulfill her promise.

Poonam is still willing to perform her show for the team if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approves and arranges the venue. It looks like, Poonam is not confident such shows will be approved by the public in India. So, she has proposed to do it in a bit more liberal places like a French city, Paris.

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Sexy Indian spices and English Saxons cities

The other day, I accompanied one of my good friends to a financial institute to sell a concept for a television commercial (TVC). The client suggested showing money or gems as a part of the concept. My friend’s logic was not to show money in the advertisements of banks or financial companies. He said, that will have negative impact on the mass and will not generate result, as expected. This got me thinking. Why not? After all, it is all about money.

In the eastern side of the world, people are shy to talk about sex but, at the same time, they are busy generating more babies compared to the western world. Asia has more than 60% contribution to the world’s 6 billion plus population out of which, China and India combined contribute 2.5 billion. People in the western world are open and freely talk on sex and ideas associated with it. How come their population is a lot less compared to those who believe that sex is a taboo? Read the rest of this entry »

Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood to be called back?

An Indian newspaper has reported that one of the most controversial Indian Ambassador to, Rakesh Sood, might be called back by the Indian government soon.

Apart from being the most controversial person, he is also accused of  being arrogant. Sood had been very tough with Maoist and was unnecessary involved in business of Dabur Nepal. Sood was instrumental in reducing anti-Indian sentiments in media and stop Maoist from leading the government.

The newspaper accus
es Sood was one of the reason behind the current political deadlock in Nepal. He was one of the most hated ambassador and was once thrown shoes by the crowd. He is also the first ambassador whose effigies were burnt on the streets.

India is planning to send Jayant Prasad as the new ambassador for Nepal. Jayant Prasad had served as an ambassador to Pakistan previously. His father Bimal Prasad had also served as an ambassador to Nepal during the Rana regime.

Yamaha Motorcycle Race 2010 held in Kathmandu

Samar Manandhar and Manish Shrestha have won the Second Yamaha Motorcycle race organized by Morang Auto Works. The competition was held in the National Trading compound, Singadurbar. The organizer had specially made the racing track for the competition.

There were 46 contestants each in R-15 and FZ competition. Samar was the winner of R-15 competition and Manish won FZ competition. Benjamin Gautam and Prashant Timsina were placed the second respectively. The participants had to drive 4-5 laps to complete the race.

The winners each got a cash prize of Rs. 20,000 and they will represent Nepal in the race to be held in Chennai, India. The second place winners received cash prize of Rs. 10,000 each.

UPDATE by Suraj Krishna Mali: There were a total of 96 participants in both R15 and FZ catogies. In R15 and FZ catogory Mr. Samar Manandhar and Mr. Manish Shrestha was winner accordingly. As the winners they represented Nepal in Chhenai Championship, India, to be held in January of 2011. As the second place winners Mr. Benjamin Gautam and Karan Khatiwada got Rs. 20,000 cash prize each for R15 and FZ category and Mr. Prashant Timsina and Mr. Bibek Kumar Mandal got Rs. 10000 cash prize as a Third place in each category respectively.

Veteran Tennis title goes to Kamal Thapa

I am not a great fan of Kamal Thapa as a politician. But, I sure would congratulate Kamal Thapa as a title winner of Vetran Tennis played in Delhi, India.

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Documentary – Greater Nepal

Menuka Shrestha and Manoj Kumar RC present
Nepali Documentary – Greater Nepal
Producer – Manoj Pandit

Single part, full documentary

*** Multiple part – previous post ***
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Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi in 2010 is on Saturday, the 11th of September.

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadra, starting on the Shukla Chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). Read the rest of this entry »

Documentary – The Day My God Died

• Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary, Indian Film Festival, L.A.
• Best Documentary Nomination, News and Documentary Emmy Awards

A look at the young girls in Bombay whose lives are shattered by the child sex trade.
A documentary by by Andrew Levine and Geralyn Dreyfous
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Forget iPad, Cheapest tablet computer to cost $35 in India

In 2011 Indian government expects to produce a touchscreen tablet costing $35.
The Linux based computer can do word processing, web browsing and video-conferencing.

It can also be made more environment friendly by installing a solar power option at an additional cost.

While unveiling the device on July 22, India’s Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said, “This is our answer to MIT’s $100 computer.” Sibal hopes to get the cost down to $10 eventually.
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