Jaljala

Jaljala is a 2013 Nepali action film based on the story of the Maoist civil war in Nepal, released in theatres on 11 January 2013. The film was directed by Shivaji Lamichhane, who also wrote the story, and was produced by Kashiram Bhushal, Shivaji Lamichhane and Ganesh Bhandari under the banner of Revolutionary Cine Works Nepal, a wing of the CPN (Maoist) party. It was, in many ways, a political film: it was meant to present the revolution in a positive light, and the Maoist leader Nandakishor Pun (Pasang) is considered the brain behind the project.

The film revolves around Jaljala, a female guerrilla of the Maoist rebellion, played by actress Rekha Thapa in the leading role. Through her story the movie shows the motivations and sacrifices of the peasants army during the decade-long civil war (1996-2006) that cost the country thousands of lives, and it also frames the political problems facing Nepal because of external pressure on them. The cast also includes Aayush Rijal, Kamal Krishna, Kishor Khatiwada, Basundhara Bhusal, Nandu Shrivastav, Laxman Basnet, Rajan Bam and Ramchandra Adhikari, along with late veteran Gopal Bhutani.

The technical department was elaborate: the cinema was by Bishnu Kalpit, the music by Chetan Sapkota, the action by Rajendra Khadgi and the art and set elements by Gopalgaun who also acted. Maunata Shrestha wrote the script and dialogue, the editing was by Milan Shrestha, the background music by Manoj Rajbhandari, and the choreography was by Kabiraj Gahatraj.

Jaljala stands out in the Nepali film history as one of the few films directly inspired by the armed conflict that changed the course of a nation, and the role made Rekha Thapa an unusual star symbol among the ones close to the ongoing politics. The full movie is available to watch on YouTube today. It remains a rare example of a party-backed production in the history of Nepali cinema.