Sharmila Pandey

Prem Bahadur Basnet is a Nepali film director known for his contribution to the early development of Nepali cinema and for directing the culturally important film Kumari.After completing his B.Ed., Basnet received scholarships to study abroad, including one from a university in Hawaii, USA, and another to study scriptwriting at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, India. While many students at the time were going to the United States for higher education, Basnet chose to pursue film studies in Pune because of his strong interest in cinema.He studied there for two years, going to Pune in 1962 and returning to Nepal in 1964. After returning, he worked at Nepal’s Information Department, where he became involved in cultural and media-related activities.Having studied filmmaking, Basnet was more interested in creating original and artistic films rather than purely commercial cinema. During this period, when Nepal was invited to represent the country in international film festivals, he decided to make a film based on the living goddess Kumari tradition of the Newar community in Kathmandu.This idea eventually led to the creation of Kumari, which became an important cultural film portraying Nepal’s traditions and social life. Through his work, Prem Bahadur Basnet helped introduce culturally rooted and artistic storytelling to Nepali cinema.

Tika Pahari is a respected veteran actor in Nepali cinema, known for his powerful supporting roles across several decades. He gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Raj’s father in the beloved film Darpan Chhaya (2001), and has since appeared in numerous acclaimed films such as Jeevan Sangharsha (1995), Prithvi (1994), Manjari (2013), and Dui Rupaiyan (2017), where he played the role of a smuggling boss. His performances often bring emotional depth and gravitas, making him a familiar and admired figure in both classic and contemporary Nepali films. He is also the father of actor Gaurav Pahari, continuing a legacy of artistic contribution to Nepali cinema.

Bhuwan KC (born 23 August 1957) is a leading figure in Nepali cinema whose career spans singing, acting, film production, and direction. He began his artistic journey as a singer in the late 1970s, recording modern Nepali songs before transitioning to acting. His breakthrough as an actor came with the blockbuster film Samjhana (1983), establishing him as one of the most popular romantic heroes of the 1980s and 1990s.In the early 1990s, KC expanded into film production, producing several commercially successful films that strengthened his position in the industry. He later moved into direction, making his directorial debut with Dreams (2016), starring his son Anmol KC.Across four decades, Bhuwan KC has remained a central figure in Nepali cinema, contributing to its evolution through performance, production, and direction.

Ramesh Budhathoki has so far acted in 1,200 teleserials and in about five dozen movies. Moreover, he has also directed 11 movies. He also holds the record for making Nepal’s longest teleserial of 980 episodes which ran on Nepal 1 television from 2004 to 2007. Budhathoki also made Nepal’s first teleserial called Bacha Birseko Chaina (Haven’t Forgotten Promise) in 1986.