Nepal debates what’s acceptable and what’s not at a time when sex and foul language are key ingredients of some Nepali movies; and sexually explicit pictures are spread all over Nepali tabloids.
Nepali movies these days seems to be on two streams: the traditional types are those with well-known actors where everything is mixed and targeted for lower middle class audiences; and the experimental new ones targeted for theatres at malls for upper middle class audiences. The second type generates more hype (and most possibly profits) because they are on the theaters where audiences pays more to watch and they also get a lot of mainstream media coverage.
When there were whispers going on about the movies including unnecessary scenes of sexual motivation; the success of Chapali Height made film producers and directors to believe on age-old doctrine: Sex Sells!
Chapali Height was a suspense movie that somehow put the intended polygamy as the incident to raise tensions and lead to climax. The film had probably three scenes of sexual nature; and they were all used in promo video and posters making people believe that it’s all about sex. The film was successful.
Just before that another movie – Loot – became one of the most successful films in recent history. The film was well-done; and the dialogues (unlike in first type of Nepali movies were purely of Nepali tone) which uses foul words were well received.
The success of those two movies probably made people believe explicit foul language and sex sells the movie. Two new movies being promoted in YouTube and internet seems to be the worst imitation of both. The promo of A.T.M. and The Last Kiss looks like promos of third-grade semi-porno movies.
The inclusion of explicit foul language, sexual reference and naked bodies… uff… they are not at all artistic; they are vulgar. And, certainly, the promos are so bad that even peer group will find it embarrassing to watch.
Is Censor An Answer?
Censoring is not an answer. Film directors and producers should be responsible for what they make; and what they want to show to the greater society. If they make a film targeting adults only, they should accept Adult Certification and theaters should be responsible enough to ensure only adults watch it.
Mainstream media should be sensitive enough not to promote movies wrongly. If a movie gets Adult Certification, they should be wise enough to tell that every time they mention the movie in a way that discourages underage to watch it.
Nepal Film Development Board, directors’ association and producers’ association should discourage too much vulgarity.
I could listen the supporters of such movies saying ‘but that’s reality of our society; that’s what happening the society and we just showed the reality’. Well, yes, but there are so many reality of life that are not worth showing in films.
Let’s have a look at this still from A.T.M. Is there anything artistic on this? Is there anything that’s worth showing other than crude sexual feeling and embarrassment?
I don’t say that sex is entirely unnecessary; but on movies, it needs to be presented artistically to ensure that people understand the situation but don’t feel vulgar.
