jhola movie review essay

Movie Review: Jhola

by Samaanta | Apr 11, 2019 | Blog | 0 comments

Nepali movie ‘Jhola’ is a movie made on a popular book by the same name by literary figure, Krishna Dharabasi. The plot set on the Nepali society of the time about a century ago. The movie directed by Yadav Kumar Bhattarai features  Garima Pant , Desh Bhakta Khanal, Deepak Chhetri,  Laxmi Giri , Pralhad Khatiwada in main roles. The movie made on the banner of Media for Culture Pvt. Ltd. was made after an extensive research on the topic for about 7 years. Based on the novel, Late Deepak Alok had written the script of the movie – keeping the core of the book intact. The movie can be categorized as a historical art movie.

The movie presents the height of violence against women in ancient Nepal – Sati tradition. In ‘Jhola’ an young woman (Garima Pant) is married to a man 40 years senior to her. When her husband dies, Garima is kept to be burned alive with the dead body of her husband. She escaped the fire and hides in a cave. You can watch the movie to know what happens to Garima and how her small son helps her.

STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS

Although there are places for improvement, the scenes in the movie seem realistic and historical. The movie depicts the environment of East Nepal at the time of 100 years ago. The movie uses long shot to present realistic views of the time. The movie features traditional tools like dhiki, janto, madani, ranko, diyalo and so on.

The young people could get a glimpse of our past and the old people can feel the time they have went through in their childhood. So, both young and the old can enjoy the movie. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches slavery (Kamara Kamari) tradition.

The cinematography is one of the best aspect of the movie. The director has also taken care to present the ancient environment. Most of the lighting during the shooting were also made by traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place light. The dress used by the characters were also sewn by hand.  Background music was also composed of leaf music and traditional tunes. The director says that none of the artists have done make up. To make the characters natural, they had carried cow dung, dug in fields, carried water and the natural dirt was used to make the characters real.

Garima Pant and the child artist have done a very realistic acting. Other actors have also justified their character. In a report, Garima got sick after the shooting of the scene in which she runs away by swimming in the river. Garima told that throughout the shooting she didn’t take a bath or applied makeup.

The director Yadav Bhattarai is a well known name in directing Nepali music videos. After directing about 900 music videos Yadav decided to make the movie on the story he read some 11 years ago. He read the book in BS 2059 and got the permission to make movie on it in BS 2063 from Dharabasi. The script writer Deepak Alok had died four years prior to the release of the movie.

‘Jhola’ is a historical movie to get a glimpse of the time of our fore fathers. The movie is a mirror of violence against women in ancient time. Apart from the entertainment, the movie offers insights into history, culture and tradition. ‘Jhola’ has it’s share of shortcomings but, it is a good historical movie. If you like fight, singing and dance, and fun in movies – this might not be the one you would love to watch.

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Revisiting ‘Jhola’: Social commentary done right

Kshitiz Pratap Shah

‘Jhola’ has a special place in the history of Nepali cinema. Almost unanimously revered and even nominated as Nepal’s Oscar submission in 2014, it is seen as an outlier in its unique addressing of a dated yet complex social issue. When I first watched it as a 13-year-old (almost a decade ago), it created a stellar impression in my mind. What ‘Jhola’ did in comparison to other movies on social issues is introduce nuances to its subject matter and make us question whether we place the blame on the right entities for such social evils. Instead of leaning into melodrama and simplification, the movie, for me, was a way of questioning a linear, black-and-white way of thinking back then. Now, when I rewatched the film nearly after a decade, I still feel that a great part of that authentic, even challenging essence of the movie still remains.

‘Jhola,’ based on Krishna Dharabasi’s short story of the same name, follows a small family from the rural hilly region of Nepal in the 1940s. Our protagonist (Garima Panta) is identified not by her name but simply referred to as Kanchhi. Her husband (Deepak Chhetri) is nearly thrice her age and is on his deathbed. Kanchhi also has a young son (Sujal Nepal), who often acts as the audience’s surrogate in the movie. Between father and son, Kanchhi is shown as the all-caring mother, responsible for everyone’s well-being. In fact, we get to see this family dynamic for nearly a third of the film and focus on the love given to Kanchhi by these two. We are concerned not only for her well-being, or due to a moral obligation, but also because we realise how the ‘sati’ tradition—which mandated that a woman burn along with her dead husband—immediately and permanently breaks familial bonds apart.

Kanchhi’s husband insists on not letting Kanchhi go to ‘sati.’ He understands just how young she is and presents this wish to her and his young son personally. Yet, this idea, constantly appealed to by the son during the funeral, feed into deaf ears. The cultural links associated with the system are entrenched to the point of being detrimental. ‘Jhola’ thus showcases how even the perpetrators of the ‘sati’ tradition are merely enacting a deep-set norm in the social conscience, which reveals that the issue of ‘sati’ transcends personal morality.

One of the few moments where the movie falters is during the death of the father. While we know enough about Kanchhi and the issue at hand to feel sympathetic towards her, the funeral scene, in particular, relies more on telling rather than showing. We see the sister-in-law (Laxmi Giri) side with Kanchhi while consoling Ghanashyam, the son. Yet, her complaints about the hypocrisy of the ‘sati’ tradition feels like a modern insertion, something added in hindsight. While theoretically valid and poignant, the movie rarely visualises her ideas until the end, where we see the extent of the tradition through violence on another ‘sati’ victim.

However, ‘Jhola’ remains personal and grounded for the most part. A large part of this is due to the acting of the two leads. Panta as Kanchhi is toned down, but it works great. She seems not merely a victim but also someone capable of carrying the familial weight on her shoulders. She plays Kanchhi as someone experienced and emotionally stable beyond her years. This doesn’t mean her character doesn’t emote at all—there are scenes where she gives her all. Her crying after the death of her husband is one such moment, a rare instance where Kanchhi breaks down, dismantling the shield she has constructed so well so far.

Similarly, Sujal Nepal brings relatability to the character of Ghanashyam. His character shows compassion and loyalty to Kanchhi, but he rarely overplays his part.

The screenplay uses metaphors, flashbacks and dream sequences to its advantage. The dying father’s dream of seeing himself in fire foreshadows the burning of his wife and the sudden change it brings to his family. Yet, these additions also break the monotony of the present and justify character motivations in a refreshing way.

Most importantly, though, the movie structures itself to be constantly linked to the present, as we see the story of Kanchhi and Ghanashyam play merely as a flashback to the turmoils of suspicion, doubt and unjustified violence in the middle of the Maoist insurgency. Dharabasi, the author of the short story, also makes an appearance, largely to remind us how contextual such discriminatory social evils still are in our society.

In fact, the dowry system, chhaupadi and witch trials still happen in Nepal. The ending is bitter-sweet (and perhaps even ironic), as Dharawasi pays homage to Chandra Shumsher, who allegedly abolished the ‘sati’ tradition but led an oppressive regime that was plagued by other forms of exploitation. This juxtaposed ending ultimately does a great job of leaving the audience at an edge—forcing us to come to terms with the deep-set rot of injustices lodged into our social systems.

Language: Nepali

Released: 2013

Available on: YouTube , with English subtitles

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Cast: Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri

Kshitiz Pratap Shah Kshitiz Pratap Shah was a Culture and Lifestyle intern. He is an undergraduate student at Ashoka University, pursuing an English & Media Studies major.

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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

A Specimen of Movie Review on ‘Jhola’

Body { } center { text-align: center; } h2 { color: #333; } p { margin-bottom: 15px; } } movie / book review.

A review is a brief description of a book, film, play, album, etc. It gives the main points of the plot including the reviewer’s comments/ recommendations. While writing a review, think about the tenses you should use for each paragraph. When describing the plot, the present tense should be used. When a new topic is presented, start a new paragraph. Your recommendation and judgement should be included in the conclusion. Always be reasonable to support your comments or opinions.Useful Language

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Background:

The film is set ____. It tells the story of / is about _____; The film is directed/ produced by ____ ; It is based on a book by _____ ; The film is a comedy / thriller/ adventure / romantic comedy / tragedy etc.

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A Review of the Movie 'Jhola'

Title of the movie: Jhola

Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Producers: Raj Timalsina, Ram Gopal Thapa and Sushil Shah

Starring: Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri

Genre: Social

Duration: 90 minutes

Language: Nepali

Release Date: 7 December 2013

‘Jhola’ is a Nepali film based on Krishna Dharawasi’s short story “Jhola”. It has depicted Nepali society about the Sati tradition that was prevalent until the 1920s. The film has beautifully presented the issues of violence against women. “Has Nepalese society really passed through such inhuman tradition?” is the question every youngster wonders about.

The plot develops with the death of Garima’s husband in which she has to immolate herself upon her husband’s death, typically on his funeral pyre. She is supposed to be burnt alive with the dead body of her husband according to the tradition. However, she escapes the fire and hides in a cave. The help of her son fascinates the audience.

Almost all the scenes seem realistic and historical. Traditional tools like dhiki, janto, madaani, etc. give a traditional look to the film. Similarly, traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place represent ancient environment to the spectators. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches Kamara Kamari (a kind of slavery) tradition. What a beautiful cinematography it is! I think costumes of the artists and the leaf music in traditional tunes touch the heart of every one present in the cinema hall. Garima’s natural appearance, her role and her acting are spellbinding and add to the beauty of the movie.

This is a must watch movie. Don’t miss it.

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Movie/ Film Review: Jhola

  Movie Review on ‘Jhola’

Title of the movie: Jhola

Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Producers: Raj Timalsina, Ram Gopal Thapa and Sushil Shah

Starring: Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri

Genre: Social

Duration: 90 minutes

Language: Nepali

Release Date: 7 December 2013

‘Jhola’ is a Nepali film based on Krishna Dharawasi’s short story “Jhola”. It has depicted Nepali society about the Sati tradition that was prevalent until the 1920s. The film has beautifully presented the issues of violence against women. “Has Nepalese society really passed through such inhuman tradition?” is the question every youngster wonders about.

The plot develops with the death of Garima’s husband in which she has to immolate herself upon her husband’s death, typically on his funeral pyre. She is supposed to be burnt alive with the dead body of her husband according to the tradition. However, she escapes the fire and hides in a cave. The help of her son fascinates the audience.

Almost all the scenes seem realistic and historical. Traditional tools like dhiki , janto , madaani , etc. give a traditional look to the film. Similarly traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place represent ancient environment to the spectators. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches Kamara Kamari (a kind of slavery) tradition. What a beautiful cinematography it is! I think costumes of the artists and the leaf music in traditional tunes touch the heart of every one present in the cinema hall. Garima’s natural appearance, her role and her acting are spellbinding and add to the beauty of the movie.

This is a must watch movie. Don’t miss it.

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Jhola-An Epic Movie

Introduction

Sati, the first wife of Lord Shiva had jumped into the sacrificial fire in protest of the abuse her parents had done to her husband. Commemorating it, an inhumane tradition continued for thousands of years in which a woman burnt herself alive on the pyre of her dead husband. Women who were saved from the practice were rare. Only Mandev’s mother has been mentioned in the ancient history saved from the tradition. And then there was Rajendra Laxmi, the daughter-in-law of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Thirty one Satis burnt themselves at the death of king of Patan Yog Narendra Malla. During the reign of Laxmi Narsingh Malla, Kaji Bhim Malla was persecuted for a crime he did not commit. His wife, while sacrificing herself on the pyre of her husband, cursed: May the rulers of this country lose their rationality!

Jhola (English: Bag ) is a movie based on the story of the same name by Krishna Dharavasi (Dharavasi literally translates to- one who lives in the Earth) was the most anticipated movie of 2014. Speaking on the evil practice of Sati, the story of Dharavasi had gained immense popularity- credit to the radio programme Shruti Sambeg and genuine lovers of Nepali literature. What was the custom? What were the pains? Yadav Kumar Bhattarai has shown well as the director of the movie.

As soon as the production declared the making of the movie, everyone was eager to know the development. The movie’s shooting was given utmost importance by the national level magazines and TV shows. The actress, Garima Panta rose to fame. The post-production was keenly watched over. Content, everyone knew. How would it be presented? Major curiosity lied on the presentation of nudity. Complete nudity was mentioned in the story. How it be shown in a movie that had audience of conservative mindset? This curiosity had also made up a newspaper article.

The movie opens with a song by Sumnima Singh of Night- the same band I had featured in January. Krishna Dharavasi and his family make a special appearance in the present (2058 B.S.). He discovers a paper (letter) inside a bag left by an elderly man earlier that day and reads it.

The story opens in the year 1971 B.S. at an Eastern Hilly Village of Nepal. The writer of the letter is about 9 or 10 years old while his father is more than seventy years old. Shockingly, his mother is just twenty-seven. As his father lies on deathbed, his mother undergoes many troubles to take care of her son and household.

One day, the old man dies. The boy is then under the care of his uncle and aunt (both older than his mother). His mother is declared a Sati and she is made to perform several rituals before she offers herself to the burning pyre. However, she escapes without the notice of the processors. The boy finds her and takes her away to Manipur, India.

Social Evils and their Eradication

The movie presents some other social evils along with the tradition of Sati. Unequal marriage, treatment by witch-doctors and slavery are the evils of the era movie is based on.

Sati Pratha and Slavery were abolished by the Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher in the years 1977 and 1981 B.S. respectively. But as the movie says- Evils in our society still linger. Widows were burnt once then. Now, they are burnt several times by the society. Unequal marriage, child marriage still prevail. Dowry system is growing up as another evil. Everyone should be united to fight against these evils.

Personal View The movie has been well presented. Such a presentation is rarely seen in low-budgeted movies of Nepal. Village life in the hills of Nepal has been well depicted. The story is supported by the acting. The illness of the old man seems real. The rituals after his death are well-shown (although there could have been finer details of the procession). The background music is catchy and melodious. The cinematography and the lighting is good, although there is need of improvement at some points. The only thing I felt bad about was the transition between the scenes and the scenes that occur rapidly after the death of the boy’s father. Overall, the movie is the best literary adaptation in Nepal.

Movie facts: Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai Story: Krishna Dharavasi Screenplay: Krishna Dharavasi / Deepak Alok Music/ Lyrics: Jason Kunwar Singer: Sumnima Singh Actors: Garima Panta Deepak Chhetri Deshbhakta Khanal Laxmi Giri Sujal Nepal (Lead Child Actor) Producers:

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10

References 1. Jhola at Internet Movie Database (IMDb) 2. variety.com/2014/film/asia/nepal-picks-jhola-for-foreign-language-oscar-race-1201290740/

You can watch the movie at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tvSSDYsOHxw

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11 thoughts on “ jhola-an epic movie ”.

Pingback: Some women who died for love – Stories of Sandeept

Great review. I was brought up in Delhi and that somehow made me think that these things don’t happen anymore. That sati was happening as recently as the 70s is a shocking revelation. Unequal marriages unfortunately are fairly commonplace. Your posts are thought-provoking, my friend.

Thank you but I think you got confused, dear Anand. I didn’t mean 1970 A.D. but 1970 B.S. (Bikram Sambat- an official Nepali calendar). Since B.S. is 57 years ahead of A.D., the movie talks maybe of the 1920s (in A.D.) The tradition of Sati was abolished but other traditions are becoming inhuman. Dowry, for example. Child marriage and unequal marriage are still prevalent.

Like Liked by 1 person

Thanks for clarifying it Sandeep. Yes, I missed it. There are traditions I’ll be happy to see dead and gone! They mess with happiness, something that must be a fundamental right of a person.

Some of them are so rooted and are still spreading. I would love to see them being ended by learned people.

Odd how learned people are burnt at every crossing, figuratively speaking, by the very people they try to help. It happens all the time in India. A crusader against black magic is hacked to death, a man who speaks against traditions that are biased is shot dead. Martyrdom comes in various forms…one of them is philanthropic learnedness.

The world is cruel to those who are trying to help others. So helping oneself first might be the trick for survival.

I went to go watch this movie and it indeed was phenomenal! I think you left a great review of it. For me it was a unique viewing experience because I am not very familiar with Nepali culture and history! As an outsider looking at this work, it really just informs me about how things once were, on top of it being a captivating story. 🙂 I actually would recommend this movie to other people because, as (it seemed to me) cheesy as some parts are, it’s still a heart-clenching and heartwarming story that people can relate to. Thanks for bringing this into my life Ankit!

I am glad that you watched and liked the movie. Thank you so much!

I could not refrain from commenting. Very well written!

Pingback: Monthly Feature 12: Let’s take a “Breathless” Revision – Stories of Sandeept

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Nepali Times

6-12 december 2013 #684.

Based on author Krishna Dharabasi’s story of the same name, the film begins when an old man called Ghanashyam (Sujal Nepal) leaves his bag for a night at the writer’s home. Suspicious, the writer checks the contents of the bag only to find an old manuscript which contains 11 short stories. As Dharabasi starts reading, he is transported to Nepal of the 18th century. We are introduced to a young Ghanashyam who lives with his mother Kanchi (Garima Panta) and his ailing father (Desh Bhakta Khanal). After her husband passes away, Kanchi’s life becomes a nightmare.

Expected to sacrifice herself on the funeral pyre, Kanchi enters almost a daze like state and goes from being a strong-willed, loving mother to a helpless widow. As she prepares herself for the ceremony and Ghanashyam comes to terms with being orphaned, the anguish of both mother and son becomes palpable on screen. While expertly depicting the pain of the protagonists, director Yadav Kumar Bhattarai also explores the tender relationship between a mother and a son, which imbibes Jhola with a soul that has been missing in most Nepali movies pre and post the success of Loot .

Although the Sati system was abolished decades ago, Jhola is still relevant to today’s Nepal where, unfortunately, cases of sexual harassment, violence against women, trafficking remain all too common. The film may not be technically sound or perfectly enacted, but it succeeds in leaving an impact and inspiring viewers to take a stance.

Sunaina Rana

www.jholanepalifilm.com

Jhola was screened by Zonta, an international organisation working to improve the status of women in Nepal, at QFX Kumari on 2 and 5 December.

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Jhola – movie review.

UPDATE – Full movie Watch ‘Jhola’ here.

Nepali movie ‘Jhola’ is a movie made on a popular book by the same name by literary figure, Krishna Dharabasi. The plot set on the Nepali society of the time about a century ago. The movie directed by Yadav Kumar Bhattarai features Garima Pant , Desh Bhakta Khanal, Deepak Chhetri, Laxmi Giri , Pralhad Khatiwada etc. in main roles. The movie made on the banner of Media for Culture Pvt. Ltd. was made after an extensive research on the topic for about 7 years. Based on the novel, late Deepak Alok had written the script of the movie – keeping the core of the book intact. The movie can be categorized as a historical art movie.

The movie presents the height of violence against women in ancient Nepal – Sati tradition. In ‘Jhola’ an young woman (Garima Pant) is married to a man 40 years senior to her. When her husband dies, Garima is burned alive with the dead body of her husband. She escaped the fire and hides in a cave. You can watch the movie to know what happens to Garima and how her underage son helps her.

The story was written by Dharabasi based on a story he found written in leaf booklet in a bag (Jhola) left at his home by an elderly man who had come from Manipur, India. Hence the name ‘Jhola’. The event shown in the movie happened in a remote village of Bhojpur district. The shooting however was done in Dhading after reviewing various other locations in Sindhuli, Bhojpur, Ilam, Therathum, Panchthar, Sindhupalanchowk, Rolpa, Taplejung, Khaptad, Doti, Achham, Bajhang, and Bajura.

Strength and Weakness

Although there are place for improving, the scenes in the movie seem realistic and historical. The movie depicts the environment of East Nepal at the time 100 years ago. The movie uses long shot to present realistic views of the time. The movie features traditional tools like dhiki, janto, madani, ranko, diyalo and so on.

The young people could get a glimpse of our past and the old people can feel the time they have went through in their childhood. So, both young and the old can enjoy the movie. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches slavery (Kamara Kamari) tradition.

The cinematography is one of the best aspect of the movie. The director has also taken care to present the ancient environment. Most of the lighting during the shooting were also made by traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place light. The dress used by the characters were also sewn by hand.  Background music was also composed of leaf music and traditional tunes.

The director says that none of the artists have done make up. To make the characters natural, they had carried cow dung, dug in fields, carried water and the natural dirt was used to make the characters real.

Garima Pant and the child artist have done a very realistic acting. Other actors have also justified their character. In a report, Garima got sick after the shooting of the scene in which she runs away by swimming in the river. Garima told that throughout the shooting she didn’t take a bath or applied makeup.

The director Yadav Bhattarai is a well known name in directing Nepali music videos. After directing about 900 music video Yadav decided to make the movie on the story he read some 11 years ago. He read the book in BS 2059 and got the permission to make movie on it in BS 2063 from Dharabasi. The script writer Deepak Alok had died four years prior to the release of the movie.

‘Jhola’ is a historical movie to get a glimpse of the time of our fore fathers. The movie is a mirror of violence against women in ancient time. Apart from the entertainment, the movie offers insights into history, culture and tradition. ‘Jhola’ has it’s share of shortcomings but, it is a good historical movie.

If you like fight, singing and dance, and fun in movies – this might not be the one you would love to watch.

Recommendation – a must watch movie.

Review by – Robin Manandhar

You might also want to visit ‘Jhola’ movie profile in NetofNepal.

18 thoughts on “ Jhola – Movie Review ”

please add full movie review

यहाँ छ — https://xnepali.net/movies/nepali-movie-jhola/

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maile t harako 6ena sunako6u but youtube.ma searr garako ke amsa.matra bhata full movi bhatna sakina

Me too..looking forward for this movie's link please

Chakrapani Timalsina Can I watch in internet? If possible then can anyone send me the link please

where can I get this movie plz

Necessary to watch this movi for everyone …

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This movie will be upper rank in the box office. All actors are really realistic except priest.

Already watched but ….

already watched.

hora fursadma hernu parla ,, namaskar n subh din dharma ji

Yes everybody should watch Jhola….in my view its a heart touching movie n ever in nepali movie history..

ekdam ramro chha yo film…….

i like to watch this movey plzz but how to watch can u says some thing about me for this movei plaze

It is the knowledgeable movie so everybody should watch jhola .

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Thursday, May 19, 2016

Jhola; a nepali movie, movie review, no comments:, post a comment.

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Review by truett Pro

Watched May 02 , 2022

truett’s review published on Letterboxd:

Won’t say this was made exceptionally well but it does tell this story in a very great and emotional way. I’ve never heard of this practice before but wow quite upsetting. Also this is the first Nepali film I’ve ever seen!?!

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After her husband's death, a girl is forced to die due to the Sati practice in Nepal. After her husband's death, a girl is forced to die due to the Sati practice in Nepal. After her husband's death, a girl is forced to die due to the Sati practice in Nepal.

• Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
• Deepak Aalok
• Krishna Dharabasi
• Garima Panta
• Sujal Nepal
• 4 User reviews
• 1 Critic review

Top cast 15

• Ghanshyam …
• Ailing Husband
• Krishna Sir
• (as Narendra Singh Dhami)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Official submission of Nepal to the best foreign language film category of the 87th Academy Awards 2015.

User reviews 4

• thorodinson-50130
• Oct 31, 2021
• Does this movie make you cry?
• December 7, 2013 (Nepal)
• Nepal (Studio)
• Media for Culture
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• NPR 5,000,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 30 minutes

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What is a movie review and why is it written?

Movie reviews are written for the general public by commonly journalists or other non-academics and appear in newspapers, magazines or online around the time the film is released in theatres. Their intention is to describe the plot, characters, director, etc in order to help decide whether or not a film should be seen. To be brief, A movie review’s main function is to give you—the reader—an idea of whether or not it’s worth your time and money to see the movie in question.

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A S pecimen of M ovie R eview on ‘Jhola’

Title of the movie : Jhola

Director : Yadav Kumar Bhattarai                    

Producers : Raj Timalsina, Ram Gopal Thapa and Sushil Shah

Starring : Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri

Genre : Social

Duration : 90 minutes

Language : Nepali

Release Date : 7 December 2013

‘Jhola’ is a Nepali film based on Krishna Dharawasi’s short story “Jhola”.  It has depicted Nepali society about the Sati tradition that was prevalent until the 1920s. The film has beautifully presented the issues of violence against women . “Has Nepalese society really passed through such inhuman tradition?” is the question every youngster wonders about.

The plot develops with the death of Garima’s husband in which she has to immolate herself upon her husband’s death, typically on his funeral pyre. She is supposed to be burnt alive with the dead body of her husband according to the tradition. However, she escapes the fire and hides in a cave. The help of her son fascinates the audience.

Almost all the scenes seem realistic and historical. Traditional tools like dhiki, janto, madaani, etc. give a traditional look to the film. Similarly traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place represent ancient environment to the spectators. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie   also touches Kamara Kamari (a kind of slavery) tradition. What a beautiful cinematography it is ! I think costumes of the artists and the leaf music in traditional tunes touch the heart of every one present in the cinema hall. Garima’s natural appearance, her role and her acting are spellbinding and add to the beauty of the movie.

This is a must watch movie. Don’t miss it.  It will touch the hearts of many.

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