KATHMANDU: "Behuli," a Nepali-language drama directed by Sashan Kandel, opened in cinemas across Nepal on Thursday, with more than 100 screenings booked nationwide on its first day, according to distributor Govinda Shahi. Major chains including QFX Cinemas and INI Cinemas allocated a large share of their screens to the film, and smaller single-screen halls such as Friends Cinema also reported strong advance bookings.
The film stars Sarita Giri, Bishal Pahadi, Padam Tamang, Paras Bam Thakuri and Divya Rayamajhi in a story that is centred on Divya's character, who is taken to Sikkim after what the film's official synopsis describes as an accidental bride kidnapping — a plot drawing on the real but controversial regional tradition of jari or bride abduction found in parts of the Nepal-Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalayan belt. According to the film's synopsis, what begins as a case of mistaken identity then turns into a story about the character finding warmth, acceptance and eventually love in her new circumstances. The film runs 160 minutes and is classified as a drama-romance.
Ahead of its Nepal release, the promotional trailer passed 1 million views on YouTube within 24 hours, according to Nepal News, and topped the country's YouTube trending chart within 18 hours of release. The trailer's reach extended beyond Nepal: Nepal News reported it also gained traction in Qatar, Australia and parts of Europe — an early signal of diaspora interest ahead of the film's international rollout.
Diaspora release dates lag Nepal's
Unlike the domestic release, "Behuli" is scheduled to open later in at least one diaspora market: Australian cinema chain HOYTS lists the film's local release date as September 17, nearly a week after Nepal's opening, with English subtitles. This gap is standard for Nepali cinema's overseas distribution and gives diaspora audiences time to build anticipation from a trailer already circulating widely online before the film itself arrives in their cinemas.
The film is confirmed to open in the United Arab Emirates on September 17, through VOX Cinemas, according to the chain's own release listings — the same date as its Australian opening. Distribution plans for Qatar and other GCC markets, and whether Arabic-subtitled prints will be available, had not been independently confirmed as of this writing.
