Chiso Ashtray is a 2022 Nepali drama film inspired by the celebrated poem of the same name written by the legendary poet Bhupi Sherchan. The film translates the melancholic spirit of the poem - which speaks about the cold ashtray left on the table of a man's lonely life in the city - into a cinematic story about identity, loss and the modern Nepali existence. The film was directed by Dinesh Palpali and produced under the banners of Kangaroo Creations and Local Cinema Production, with Maheshbabu Timalsina serving as the producer. It was released in theaters on 18 March 2022 with a runtime of approximately 130 minutes.

The narrative of the film revolves around Madan, a simple villager who migrates to the capital city of Kathmandu in search of a better life. Once in the city, he takes up the job of a taxi driver and slowly begins to change his lifestyle, his appearance and his very way of thinking in an attempt to fit into the urban world. As he drifts further away from his rural roots, he is robbed - both literally and metaphorically - of the identity he carried from his village. The film observes this transformation with a compassionate yet unflinching eye, showing how the city consumes the innocence of its newcomers.

The cast of Chiso Ashtray is led by Shristi Shrestha, who plays the character of Salinta, while Robin Tamang appears in the role of Boby dai and Divya Dev plays Madan. The supporting cast includes Nikun Shrestha, Nabin Lamsal and Sushiraj Pandey, among others. The performances are restrained and realistic, matching the film's quiet and contemplative tone rather than the loud melodrama typical of commercial Nepali cinema.

The film is notable for its attempt to bring the work of Bhupi Sherchan, one of the most important voices in modern Nepali poetry, to the big screen. Sherchan's poetry, written during his time in Benares and Kathmandu, is known for its raw honesty about urban life, loneliness and the search for meaning - themes that the film directly inherits. The cinematography captures the streets of Kathmandu, the crowded spaces and the quiet rooms where the characters wrestle with their inner emptiness.

Chiso Ashtray stands as a sincere literary adaptation within Nepali cinema, a film that values mood and metaphor over spectacle. It represents a meaningful bridge between Nepali literature and cinema, and offers audiences a thoughtful meditation on what the city does to the soul.