* This feature article is a part of women in Nepali film industry series. Another article in this series is female writers in Nepali film industry. UPDATE on April 22, 2015: Dipa Basnet has directed another movie titled ‘Shree 5 Ambare’ and Samjhana Upreti has also directed her second movie ‘Falgu’. UPDATE on July 11, 2015: A new female director, Deepa Shree Niraula has announced a new movie titled ‘Chha Bhane Maya Chhapakai Laideu’ (an audio report attached at the end of this post).

The entry of female directors in Nepali film industry is very limited. There are two ways a director can start directing movies – one by working as an assistant director to an established director, two by completing direction studies. The entry of female directors in Nepali film industry is mostly by the second path. None of the female assistant directors so far have become a directors in Nepali film industry.

Watch a short video on the Female directors of the film industry:

The first female director in Nepali film industry is Suchitra Shrestha. She started as a film journalist and eventually became the director of ‘Prem Yuddha’.

Female film directors of Nepali film industry:

• Suchitra Shrestha – ‘Prem Yuddha’ (watch ‘Prem Yuddha’)
• Rakshya Singh -‘The Game’ (Watch ‘The Game’ )
• Samjhana Upreti – ‘Megha’ and ‘Falgu’ (in post production)
• Dipa Basnet – ‘Antaral’ and ‘Shree 5 Ambare’
• Rekha Thapa – ‘Himmatwali’ (upcoming)

None of these directors have directed more than one movies yet.
This statement is no longer true. Dipa Basnet’s second movie ‘Shree 5 Ambare’ is already released and Samjhana Upreti’s second movie, ‘Falgu’ is in post production.
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