Soongava

The Nepalese film Soongava was shown in the United States with the title, Soongava: Dance of the Orchids (2012). The movie was written and directed by Subarna Thapa.

Nisha Adhikari plays Kiran, a university student who falls in love with Diya (Deeya Maskey), who is studying to be a traditional Nepalese dancer. They are a wonderful couple, and everyone would be fine if people would just leave them alone to move forward with their lives.

However, predictably, family, landlords, and school principals find ways to make it impossible for the women to lead normal lives. The final denouement is precipitated by an arranged marriage.

My mental image of Nepal is a remote, rural country. No doubt there are areas like that in Nepal, but the women live in a neighborhood that could be in any Asian urban area. I just didn't know there were Nepalese cities like that.

What lifts this film above the ordinary is the Nepalese dance. During the credits, Deeya Maskey dances for us in full traditional costume. She is so graceful, and her body is so supple and well-trained, that this dance is a highlight of the movie.

We saw Soongava at the Dryden Theatre as part of Image Out: The Rochester LGBT Film Festival. I think it will work better on a large screen, but it's worth seeking out and viewing on a small screen.

Soongava-Dance of the Orchids is a peaceful river flowing softly. The simple story with bitter reality of our society is beautifully presented by Subarna Thapa. He has blended the culture along with the modernism. We can see the Newari culture which is beautifully presented by both the Director and actors. Saugat Malla has not got the lead here, but his presence charms the movie.

Soongava is a love story of two girls, who regard themselves as their best friend, Kiran(Nisha Adhikari) and Deeya(DiyaMaskey). Kiran is so sure about her relationship with Deeya, while Deeya hides her engagement with a guy ,as she is confused about their uncomforted relationship. Deeya has to take a her decision of her life, and she does and the has to face the societal consequences.

Nisha Adhikari has done a good job and DiyaMaskey is also okay. Few moments Nisha Adhikari is at her peek, as in the climax dance sequence. The overall performance of all the actors is good. In some places, the use of English language seems quite unnatural. Subarna Thapa has presented the awkward uncomfortable moments so beautifully.

The overall technical aspect is good. The audio syncing is much better than other recent Nepali digital cinema so is the cinematography. Despite the average plot, it is a worth watching.

What worked: The makers deserve a special applaud for making a movie about less discussed but still prevalent issue. It's even more complicated topic in Nepalese society and this movie is an eye opener. Regardless of the quality of the move, it's a daring project. Diya and Saughat have often been applauded critical numerous times, but it's Nisha that shocked me as a viewer for her performance. It's a simple Nepali movie meaning a movie with very less glorified and dramatic scenes and dialogues, but deals with a very unspoken and neglected topic. The movie as a whole works regardless of its technical issues because if the overall project. It's still fair to say it's a fine Nepali movie. What did not work Firstly the technical issues with the movie. The movie failed to impress me by its ending though it was doing much better than the contemporaries because of the less stimulating and representation of the scene. I don't mean to spoil it but the movie would have better impact if the final scene was shot directly, maybe with different angle, close up or something to define what it meant. Also, some minor loopholes in the screenplay. Final verdict: recommended

Its a best movie with Nepal's realistic context. Tho, I've heard its not good movie because it doesn't have sexy scenes etc. But I think It has everything that story demands. Nisha and Diya play the role greatly, I wish in Nepal, people would get some education about sexuality. Though, its very sad story, but it represents the story of those unlucky people in Nepal, who are forced to marry to someone they don't love. similarly in this movie, she is being killed for being who she is, for loving someone she wants. Its sad they haven't released it in DVD, I hope it will be released in DVD too. I watched it in big screen and Loved it, after few days I tried to take my mum to show it but it was already gone from Cinema.