Movie ‘Khel’ set for release on April 25; official poster unveiled

KATHMANDU: The movie Khel, featuring actress Surakshya Panta in a lead role, has announced its release date along with the official poster.

The film is scheduled to hit theatres on 25 April 2025.

Alongside Panta, the movie stars Hena Nagarkoti, Monika Thapa, Samapika Gautam, and Nikita Acharya in significant roles.

Khel is co-directed by Anurag Pradhan, who has served as an assistant director in over a dozen Bollywood films, and Aastha Shrestha, a long-time assistant director in Nepal.

The film also features Bhola Raj Sapkota, Mithila Sharma, Sarita Giri, Kiran Shrestha, Suhani Khadka, Bhawan Ghimire, Sujan Ghimire, and others in supporting roles.

The poster, designed by Royal Bhimsen, offers a visually striking glimpse into the mysterious and thrilling story of high school girls.

Actress Surakshya Panta takes center stage, emphasizing her character’s significance.

The backdrop features a pentagram and a dark atmosphere, hinting at the film’s connection to mystery, fear, or the thriller genre. A prominent text on the poster reads, “Been 6 years, still missing,” suggesting a storyline involving a missing person or an unresolved investigation. Additional elements, such as a guitar in a character’s hand and the faint glow from an old bus, deepen the sense of intrigue.

The film delves into a story interweaving Nepali folklore, tradition, and spirituality with suspense and thrills.

It follows the lives of four friends haunted by a horrific incident from their past.

The movie explores how failure to follow the rules of a mysterious game leads to dire consequences.

Actress Surakshya Panta expressed her delight at being part of a meaningful project.

Speaking about the storyline, she said, “This is a story about four friends living in a hostel in Kathmandu for their studies. They engage in a spiritually rooted game, which brings harm to their lives, and they must play it again to find a resolution. I play the leader of the group of friends.”

Producer Lewis Raj Maharjan highlighted the film’s use of advanced technology to compete with major international film industries.

He shared that some shooting equipment, including special camera lenses not available in Nepal, was sourced from India to ensure high production quality.

Khel is produced by Sirupate Cuts Pvt. Ltd., with Luisaraj Maharjan serving as the executive producer.

The film’s main producer is Aashishraj Maharjan, while Kunalraj Gurung and Rahishraj Maharjan are co-producers.

The story of the movie is penned by Aashishraj Maharjan, with a screenplay by Abhitendra and Anurag Pradhan.

Dialogues are written by Bishnu Gaire. Cinematography is handled by Roshan Rai and Sanjay Lama, and editing is by Aashishraj Maharjan.

The sound design is crafted by Bikal Pradhan, while color grading is done by Rajendra Moktan.

Kishor Nepal has overseen production design, with costumes by Alex Basukala and makeup by Dipu Paudel.

Yam Prasad Oli serves as the production manager.

The film’s distribution is managed by DCN, while publicity design is handled by Trident Concept.