So I’m in Nepal, and the maar-dhaad Kannada film KGF Chapter 2 by Prashanth Neel, starring Yash, is making film history here. It is such a hit that, not content with back-to-back shows from 6 am-10.30pm going houseful, they have an extra show at 2 am! A local said the film was so successful that the theatres showing local Nepali films complained, and a court fined the 2 am-wallahs! I bet they’re entirely unrepentant. I’m not a fan of violent, blood-soaked films, but Neel and Yash, take a bow.

I’m in Patan, Nepal, on the invitation of Film Southasia, a biennial South Asian documentary film festival (April 21-24), that is celebrating its 25th year. It is led by founder Kanak Mani Dixit, the South Asian visionary, Festival Director Mitu Varma and Laxmi Murthy, director of the Hri Institute for South Asian Research and Exchange, a key member of the organising committee. It screened 71 documentaries (nine of which were by Nepali filmmakers) from eight South Asian nations, with panel discussions on the films, gender and caste issues, and an exhibition on sexual violence. I was a panellist for the discussion on ‘Create, Curate, Collaborate: Making and sharing art during and post-pandemic,’ along with Ujen Norbu Gurung (curator and artist), Ayisha Abraham (visual artist) and Gurpal Singh (actor, director and curator), moderated by NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Kathmandu-based photographer and curator.