When wishes come true...
Directed By: Bhusan Dahal
Producers: Nakim Uddin, Rajesh Siddhi, Bhaskar Dhungana
Story: Bhaskar Dhungana
Screen Play: Prashant Rasaily
Cinematography: Bidur Pandey
Music: Sarad Gurung
Location Sound: Jyoti Rana
Editing: Prabod Shrestha
Featuring:
Saugat Malla - Ramesh
Deeya Maskey - Tara
Nima Rumba - Krishna
Hanif Mohammed - Bishnu
Pooja Gurung - Pema
Vivek Gurung – Bardaan
Release Date: January 11, 2008
Running Time: 130 minutes
Special Appearance: Anup Baral
Script: Achyut Koirala, Samitya Timilsina
Script Consultants: Reshu Aryal, Mana Kanti Sherchan
Casting: Anup Baral
Film Editors: Prabod Shrestha, Prabin Manandhar, Prakash Tuladhar
Promotional Music: 1974 AD
"Be careful of what you wish for..."
Kagbeni 2008 is a Nepali movie loosely based on the W. W. Jacobs' 1902 horror short story “The Monkey's Paw”. The name of the movie is taken from a tourist place Kagbeni situated in the valley of the Kali Gandaki, which is a 2-hour side trek from Muktinath. This film consists of three new faces, Saugat Malla (Ramesh), Deeya Maskey (Tara) and Nima Rumba (Krishna). The film includes the love scenes which are free from vulgarities.
The story begins with Krishna coming to a village to meet Ramesh and Bishnu who have been his childhood friends. Krishna comes back to his village after a long time from Malaysia. He visits his childhood friend Ramesh and they decide to visit the neighboring village to me someone for business purpose.
On the journey to Marpha, they take rest at a small cave in the evening where the meet mystical hermit who hands Krishna an animal paw that has power to fulfill wishes. But at the same time it has its evil effects too. Unaware of the ominous power of the paw Ramesh makes a wish. Thus begins the journey of betrayal and revenge.
Kagbeni is a film with traditional taste of fights, terror, villain, heroin etc. As this film is better than other Nepali films and there is majority of viewers in town, it also has some unclear points. The unclear points are:
What was the role of that “Mad Woman” shown in between?
What does that “Monkey’s Paw” taken by the dead son meant at last?
What does arrival of Nima Rumba after 9 years of death mean?
A movie is an expression and kagbeni expresses fairly well what it tries to tell.
It has a thin storyline but it has a storyline.
It has a very weak screen play but it has a screen play.
It has a very small budget but it had a budget to go up to mustang and shoot the entire film.
Let’s try to be fair on all the effort that has gone into it.
It’s a great start for a change in Nepali movies, kagbeni may not have a comprehensive story but it has served to the moviegoers-great direction, mind-blowing locations, great acting (far better than the unreal or amusing acting of typical Nepali actors). So all in all, kagbeni is a good movie and has given the first step for a revolution in Nepali movies. At last very important information that this film wanted to serve is:
“Be careful of what you wish for...”
