Nepali Screens on Fire with Back-to-Back Blockbusters”

These days, the craze for Nepali cinema is going wild. Just a few years ago, audiences were hesitant, but now the hype is bigger than ever. Maybe that’s why this year’s Phoolpati feels so special theaters are buzzing with back-to-back releases. Not one, not two, but three awaited Nepali films are dropping together: Maitighar, Hari Bahadur ko Jutta, and Balidan. And as if that wasn’t enough, the South Indian blockbuster Kantara 2 is also arriving to heat things up.

For moviegoers, this is both exciting and a little overwhelming. With so many choices, the question is simple: which film to watch first? For theater owners, the challenge is dividing shows fairly among all the big titles. After rounds of planning, they’ve set up a 45-30-25 split. That means Balidan leads the pack with nearly 200 shows across Nepal. Maitighar follows with over 120 screenings, while Hari Bahadur ko Jutta claims 116. Some halls still haven’t finalized, so numbers may climb higher.

To manage this lineup, multiplexes are stretching their limits. From the first show at 5:30 in the morning to the last one ending around 3 AM, cinemas will be open almost 22 hours a day. This kind of marathon schedule hasn’t been seen since Purna Bahadur ko Sarangi made history by keeping halls alive for 21–22 hours nonstop.

But the real challenge begins after the curtains rise. Will audiences actually fill the seats? Industry insiders say the three Nepali films together need to earn at least 450 million rupees just to break even. Balidan and Hari Bahadur ko Jutta each cost over 50 million, including promotion, while Maitighar was made on a smaller 30 million budget. Considering that four Nepali films pulled in nearly 500 million during last year’s Dashain holidays, the target doesn’t look impossible.

One thing is clear: this Dashain, Nepali cinema has the spotlight. Theaters are alive like festivals themselves, and audiences now have more choices than ever. Whether it’s the emotional pull of Maitighar, the humor of Hari Bahadur ko Jutta, or the grand scale of Balidan, the screens are ready. Now it’s up to the viewers to turn this festival season into a blockbuster celebration.