After a brief ban due to a controversy surrounding dialogues in the movie “Adipurush,” the screening of Hindi movies has resumed in Nepal, except for the contentious film itself. Several cinema halls in Kathmandu have started screening Hindi films, bringing relief to movie enthusiasts.
At the QFX Cinema multiplex in Sundhara, the Hindi film “Zara Hatke, Zara Bachke,” starring Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal, was among the movies being screened.
The Nepal Motion Picture Association issued a statement confirming that all Nepali and foreign films, excluding “Adipurush,” would be screened from Friday onwards.
The ban on Hindi films was imposed following a dialogue in “Adipurush” where Goddess Sita is referred to as “India’s daughter.” The decision to ban all Hindi films was announced by Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah.
Sita, also known as Janaki, is believed by many to have been born in Janakpur, a city in southeast Nepal.
However, on Thursday, a single bench of the Patan High Court, presided over by Judge Dhir Bahadur Chand, issued a short-term order stating that the screening of films that have obtained permission from the censor board should not be halted.
The court observed, “It has been our belief that no one is above the nation and nationality. It is our fundamental right to engage in our business freely abiding by Nepalese Law.”
Despite the court’s order, Mayor Balendra Shah stated that he is prepared to face any punishment but will not allow the screening of “Adipurush,” as he believes the matter concerns Nepal’s sovereignty and independence.
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