Premiere of movie ‘Harsha’ draws star-studded crowd in Lalitpur

KATHMANDU: The Nepali film ‘Harsha’ held its grand premiere on Wednesday at Labim Mall, Lalitpur, ahead of its official release on Friday.

The premiere was attended by a host of prominent figures, including the family of the late director Shiva Regmi, producers, actors, filmmakers, and members of the media.

Actress Niruta Singh, who resides in Mumbai, India, attended a Nepali film premiere after a long time. She praised ‘Harsha’, the directorial debut of Ekta Paudel, saying it was exceptionally well-made. She shared that seeing the portrait of the late director Shiva Regmi at the start of the film left her emotional. “‘Harsha’ delivers a strong message. I have witnessed such events in our homes and society. I hope everyone watches this film at least once,” Singh said.

Gyanu Regmi, wife of the late Shiva Regmi, also expressed her delight at the film, congratulating her niece Ekta Paudel on her success. “After 12 years, the river flows again. Similarly, Ekta has had the courage to direct and produce a film. It makes me very happy,” she said, noting the coincidence of the premiere coinciding with the anniversary of Shiva Regmi’s passing. She fondly recalled Shiv Regmi’s words about nurturing talent in Nepali cinema and treating artists like family.

Businessman-actor Sanjog Koirala described ‘Harsha’ as a unique family film offering a different cinematic experience, while actress Barsha Raut expressed her excitement after seeing the positive reception at the premiere.

Lead actor Khagendra Lamichhane also appeared delighted with the audience’s response. “This is my first time doing a different kind of film, and I was unsure how it would be received. Seeing the positive reactions makes me very happy. I believe audiences will enjoy it as well,” he said.

Debut director Ekta Paudel shared her joy at fulfilling a lifelong dream of making and directing a film. “Guests at the premiere said the film reminds them of my uncle, which is very encouraging. It motivates me to make even better films in the future. I hope the audience will love ‘Harsha’ as much as the press has,” she added.

The film features performances by Khagendra Lamichhane, Barsha Raut, Niru Shah, Santosh Pant, Sharmila Malla, Maotse Gurung, Vishal Pahadi, Nima Pandey, Luniva Tuladhar, Anshu Maharjan, Renu Pradhan, Suwarna Thapa, Shrishti Maharjan, Sirjana Napit, and child actor Simon Wadi.

Alok Shukla handled cinematography, with music by Sameer & Himal, Basant Sapkota, and Elish Karki.

Editing was done by Lokesh Bajracharya, and choreography by Sunil Kshetri and Ekta Paudel.

Produced under the banners of Ashtalakshmi Productions and E-Prime Movies, the story is penned by director Ekta Paudel herself. Prasanna Paudel and Bikash Paudel are the producers, with Hikmat Chokhal as executive producer. Ishwar Ghimire served as production manager, and Kuldeep Sharma as the chief assistant director.