Shambhala: Mystic journeys

Irsquove never seen an Indian film like Min Bahadur Bhamrsquos Shambhala mystic heaven from Nepal that is in the Competition section of the 74th Berlin Film Festival It is visually spectacular with top tech credits yet in absolute contrast to the big loud Indian actioners like RRR or Baahubali it uses its craftsmanship to create spaces for quietly philosophical inner journeysIts selection is also a historic landmark for South Asian cinema the first time a Nepali film has made it to the Berlinale Competition Significantly India does not have a film in Competition this yearmdashand hasnrsquot had one since Buddhadeb Dasguptarsquos Charachar Shelter of Wings in 1994mdashfull 30 years Bham is along with Deepak Rauniyar and Nabin Subba one of Nepalrsquos most globally acclaimed filmmakersHis short film Bansulli The Flute was the Venice Film Festivalrsquos first Nepali film selection in 2012 his Kalo Pothi Black Hen won the Fedeora Award for best film in the Venice Film Festivalrsquos Criticsrsquo Week in 2015 and it was Nepalrsquos Oscar entry Now his Shambhala is the first Nepali film in Berlinale Competition As producer he has also backed films by many young Nepali directors including Saurav Ghimirersquos Songs of Love and Hate produced with Minsho Limbu that earned an Honourable Mention in the Berlinalersquos Generation 14plus section last week Bham has two Masterrsquos degrees in Buddhist Philosophy and Political Science and hersquos doing a PhD in Anthropologymdashand it showsThe film in Tibetan and Nepali is set high in the Himalayas The lovely Pema Thinley Lhamo is married to three brothersmdash Tashi Tenzin Dalha the monk Karma Sonam Topden and Dawa Karma Wangyal Gurung still a schoolboy When Tashi leaves for a few months to Lhasa for trading and Pema is pregnant therersquos bazaar gossip that Ram a school teacher is the father When Tashi vanishes from Lhasa on hearing the rumours Pema initially sets off on a journey across the Himalayas to convince him of her fidelity but her journey turns out to be a deeper one of selfdiscovery and liberationThe film is magnificently crafted The credit goes to Bham and the Kazakh director of photography Aziz Jan Baki earlier Aziz Zhambakiyev winner of the Silver Bear in Berlin for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for cinematography for Harmony Lessons hersquos lived in Varanasi is a Shiva bhakt and now goes by the name of Shivang He shoots the film in widescreen ldquoscoperdquo 2391 aspect ratio to better capture the grandeur of the mighty Himalayan snow peaks he also uses tight close ups of faces like Pemarsquos to hint at her inner emotions while also hinting at manrsquos insignificance in the vast landscape with exquisite compositions and miseenscene Bhamrsquos direction distils multiple ideas about karma reincarnation a monkrsquos life vs a householderrsquos life and is a devastating critique of patriarchy and misogyny The screenplay by Bham and Abinash Bikram Shah also references our epics like the Mahabharata a woman is married to three husbands similar to Draupadirsquos story and the Ramayana a wife chooses to journey alone after her husband suspects her of being lsquounfaithfulrsquo similar to Sitarsquos story Most of the actors of Tibetan origin have had limited acting experience except Tenzin Dalha Margarita with a Straw Axone or are local nonprofessionals the charming Sonam Topden is a reallife monkturnedpopular singercomposerturned actor His Karma is a tender but chaste monkhusband He tells Pema ldquoIt doesnrsquot matter whose child it is Just the act of giving birth itself is a miraclerdquo Yet when Tashi is absconding and Pema asks him if he will accept her child he has no answer The men are definitely found wanting in this tale including the nice guys the women are made of sterner stuff But the screenplay also subverts stereotypes investing a halfabandoned child with hints of divinity It keeps the emotional drama low key while making anthropological detours into rituals including lsquosky burialsrsquo Tibetans offer their dead to vultures as some Parsis do This also makes for a challenging 150minute runtime with longueurs editors are Liao ChingSung and Kiran Shresthamdashyet Pemarsquos tough journey of quiet solitude also makes for an immersive experienceNhyoo Bajracharyarsquos music is evocative with an extraordinary hypnotic chant by Buddhist nunsinger Ani Choying Drolma over the end credits The sound design too by Tu DuuChih Taiwan In the Mood for Love The Assassin Dikesh Khadki Shahi and others is marvellous Women crew include Debaki Rai and Salina Shakya Executive Producers five women CoProducers Catherine Dussart Verona Meier Shuk Fong Chong Zeynep Koray and Justine O and SingerComposer Ani Choying Drolma I hope the film screens theatrically globally and in IndiaMeenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival National Awardwinning critic curator to festivals worldwide and journalistReach her at meenakshisheddemiddaycom