The Cinema Times, Kathmandu - Prakash Saput is a creator who mostly tells stories from his own surroundings. If you observe most of his songs, each one carries a narrative, often reflecting the tales of his own society.
He narrates different stories from the same society. Rather than fictional tales, he tells realistic stories—and that is his specialty. While Prakash has been telling stories through songs for a long time, this is his first attempt at storytelling through cinema.
Through Basanta, he aims to tell a cinematic story for the first time. Even in this film, he presents a story rooted in his own experiences—one he has seen and lived. He shared that Basanta will not just tell one story but multiple stories from society, as he revealed during the trailer launch on Saturday. He explained that the film’s characters are named according to their roles in the story.
Prakash clarified that while the film touches upon caste discrimination, it is not limited to that. It will explore many other themes. He emphasized that the film will speak what society wants to hear—stories of peace, dreams, love, and truth, embodied by characters with those very names.
"Basanta will give society a voice," Prakash said. "It will show what exists and what is happening in Nepali society today—its different classes, communities, castes, and languages." The director added, "Through Basanta, we have tried to seek peace, dreams, love, and truth."
The film’s characters are named Shanti (Peace), Sapana (Dream), Prem (Love), and Satya (Truth). "Our society, geography, lives, and even the entire world revolve around these themes," he said.
While the announcement video and trailer might suggest the film solely focuses on caste discrimination and untouchability, Prakash clarified, "That’s not the case. Through these five characters, we have portrayed gender discrimination, class disparity, poverty, geographical divides, inequality, foreign employment trends, love, and the small conflicts that arise within a society."
At the trailer launch event, Swastima (the lead actress) mentioned that the film raises many questions about society, especially targeting politics and leaders. "This film is special to me. Before any film’s release, I wonder how the audience will receive it," she said. "But I’m excited to see how viewers will react to the way the story is written and presented here."
Swastima invited the audience to watch Basanta on Chaitra 22 (April 4) and enjoy it together. She urged viewers to make the film special with their support.
Prakash is known for narrating raw, personal, and deeply felt stories—whether through music or now cinema. His songs have always conveyed strong messages, earning him immense praise. Many believe he will leave a similar impact with this film.
The trailer hints at themes like love and caste-based discrimination—how inter-caste love faces barriers, the struggles of an aspiring writer from the marginalized Vishwakarma community, and the pain of loving an upper-caste girl. It also touches upon revolutionary movements and the lingering superstitions in society.
One powerful dialogue from the trailer stands out: "People are not afraid of the law, but they fear superstitions. Superstitions are above the law." This highlights how deeply superstitions affect society and how people suffer because of them. The filmmakers are confident that audiences will appreciate the film’s bold storytelling.
BASANTA releases on Chaitra 22 (April 4) in Nepal and abroad simultaneously. The film stars Prakash Saput, Swastima Khadka, Prabhat Pal Thakuri, Shri Shivansi, Urmila Lamgade, Khadka Bahadur Pun (Khapbu), Anup Baral, Kamalmani Nepal, Prakash Ghimire, and others.
Produced by Galbandi Productions, this social drama features a story, screenplay, and music all crafted by director Prakash himself. While the film primarily follows the struggle of a poor Vishwakarma boy aspiring to be a writer, Prakash assures that it goes beyond just that one narrative.
Producers Mohan Vishwakarma and Bindu Bohora, along with executive producers Anurodh Bhattarai, Nana Thakali, and Virendra Narayan Shrestha, have backed the project. The film was shot in Prakash’s hometown Baglung, Kathmandu, and various Terai locations. Cinematography is by Susan Prajapati, while distribution in Kathmandu Valley is handled by DCN and in other regions by FD Company.
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