The year is 2001, the place: somewhere in the city of Nirmal Pradesh in India. It is an auspicious day. A newly married couple takes leave from the bride’s house. The journey to the groom's village is an extended voyage that requires a boat, a bus, a train, and another bus ride. Right off the bat, viewers cannot help but draw relevance to Nepal. We have the same class and caste system. Women are bound by the patriarchal society that treats them as less than equal and takes away their life choices. The practice of dowry is still prevalent in these parts of the world.&nbsp; The only difference: we don’t have the extensive railroads like India. Back to the story: on the train compartment, our couple encounter two more newly married pairs, the brides similarly attired with a veil covering their faces. When the train reaches his station, the groom gestures for his wife to get off. &nbsp;Only after reaching the village— when his mother unveils his bride to the waiting family– does the groom realise that the woman he has brought along from the train is not his wife. Laapataa Ladies starts with this rather bizarre premise that can only happen in movies. But the presence of three brides– all donning bridal red, all veiled, all of them in the same train compartment– gives enough plausibility for the audience to be engaged. A satirical approach to the patriarchy and the deeply-rooted customs that have oppressed women, the film is a wittily crafted piece of art. Adapted from Biplop Goswami’s story Two Brides, director Kiran Rao has made Laapataa Ladies a story about how getting lost helps two women to find their individual selves. The character of Jaya (Pratibha Ranta)– who ends up getting off the train with the groom Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastav), &nbsp;and Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel)-- Deepak’s wife who gets left behind–are two ends of a spectrum. Phool is the idealistic daughter– bright-eyed, naive and proud of the homemaking skills she has been taught. Jaya, on the other hand, is what the patriarchy would label ‘rebellious’ because she would rather go to college than be married. While Phool is the kind of person to live within restrictions that forbid women from uttering their husbands’ name out loud, Jaya is defiant of such limitations.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240619100624_adc3650769df398de6fe7f5730fe1150c30f7118cfef1c36907256bf214fd1ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240619100624_adc3650769df398de6fe7f5730fe1150c30f7118cfef1c36907256bf214fd1ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1668" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Laapataa Ladies review"> </figure>  Without celebrating any definition of what women have to be – either by conservative or progressive standards, the film centres around how the two women each navigate and make their own place in the patriarchal world. Apart from the simplistic storytelling, the film’s highlight is its portrayal of female relationships. In a world where many films are still about heroes and heroism, seeing women, women-led stories and the depth of their relationships is a rarity. And unlike how women are stereotypically portrayed in films to drag each other down, the film does just the opposite. Rao’s Laapataa Ladies is thus a breath of fresh air. The relationship Jaya and Phool develop individually with supporting female characters makes the viewer’s heart full, like the friendship that gradually flourishes between Jaya and Poonam, the eldest daughter-in-law of the house Jaya is not supposed to be in. Poonam has a knack for sketching but does not think much of it. It is Jaya who encourages her to draw and realise her potential. And while Poonam might never take up sketching professionally –that part is never dealt with within the film– that her skill was validated and appreciated is a meaningful detail. Meanwhile, everyday casual conversations that take place between the women in the film also have a deeper meaning. And though it is set in rural India, the issues the women face seem universal, especially to women across South Asia and the global south. A scene that stands out is a conversation between Manju Mai – who runs a food stall at the train station where Phool is stranded – and Phool. Phool is cooking for Manju Mai and when Manju asks if she would be okay cooking in a kitchen foreign to her, Phool replies, “As women, we are only taught to embrace a kitchen foreign to us”. Laapaata Ladies might come across as preachy at times, but aside from that, this two-hour-long film is a reflective, thought-provoking piece about women finding their place in the world. Laapaata Ladies is streaming on Netflix.

Pinki Sris Rana

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A tale of two brides in Laapataa Ladies

2023 was a year when the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and big blockbuster movie formula finally stopped bringing crowds to the cinema. It took the Barbenheimer cinematic event earlier this summer to revive the industry which has been on a constant slump post-pandemic. The second half of the year saw some exceptional films from across the world, most of which were overshadowed by the combo of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Here is a pick of some notable movies of the last few years ahead of the holiday season for you to enjoy over any number of your favourite streaming platforms. <h2>Barbenheimer (Barbie + Oppenheimer) </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071232_58f1fa1ac867739c65e877ed65833e907c811f42d4c5fe805aa1e27d900686b3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20231224071232_58f1fa1ac867739c65e877ed65833e907c811f42d4c5fe805aa1e27d900686b3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  No 2023 film list would be complete without the obvious mention of Barbenheimer, the seemingly oxymoronic double bill of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Nolan’s epic stars Cillian Murphy as the “father of the atomic bomb”, Robert J. Oppenheimer, as the film takes the audience through quantum theory, Oppenheimer’s journey from struggling student to Los Alamos, and existential cold war anxiety. Rather than a dramatic reenactment, Oppenheimer feels like more of a character assassination, a meditation on the dangers of moral indecision, and the absurdity of power and those who wield it. With the reignition of nuclear anxieties most markedly triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Oppenheimer is more than just a reflection but a warning. Oppenheimer’s monochromatic cinematography is in complete contrast to the burst of neon that is Barbie. However, remarkably, these films are not too dissimilar in that both are tinged with existentialism. Through various shades of pink, Gerwig tackles the question of what it means to be a woman in our modern society and the patriarchal pressures that distort women’s sense of self. It is unsubtle but smart, accessible yet witty. It is not an arthouse intellectualisation of the human experience but it does touch on pertinent themes, and more importantly, it is an incredibly fun watch. More than capturing the zeitgeist of our post-covid, late-stage capitalistic world, these films marked the return of cinema or rather catalysed the refound joy of cinema-going. <h2>The Boy and the Heron</h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_d802632e263ee5cd8f8945ef02725a75cc2a65dab9f4d6d78e303aad10047925.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231224071228_d802632e263ee5cd8f8945ef02725a75cc2a65dab9f4d6d78e303aad10047925" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1463" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  A decade after announcing his retirement, acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki made an unexpected comeback to cinema this year with the release of The Boy and The Heron. Studio Ghibli’s latest masterpiece touches on familiar themes such as grief, the moral ambiguities of war, childhood memories, nostalgia, nature, and nationalism all presented via the prism of magical realism and mystery. A film that was almost certainly worth Miyazaki breaking his retirement for. <h2>Close </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_27085c2a3e391a0e5377e4321beababa814ad33d8260020fffdda7d43d33f003.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20231224071228_27085c2a3e391a0e5377e4321beababa814ad33d8260020fffdda7d43d33f003" data-rendition-name="original" width="2025" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  It is a heartbreakingly beautiful film that captures the tragedy that is the end of childhood naïvety and the silent dangers of societal norms and conformity. An overt description would fail to capture the poignant essence of this Belgian coming-of-age film which won the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix. The rich cinematography and lush backdrop of flower fields perfectly balance the raw emotive performances, leaving a taste in the audience that is beyond bittersweet. <h2>All the Beauty and the Bloodshed </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_0573a0e0276c14541996b668086c2d5da6311ee149bfe0ce4eec973fdb0577f0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20231224071228_0573a0e0276c14541996b668086c2d5da6311ee149bfe0ce4eec973fdb0577f0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1642" height="2461" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  This gripping Oscar-nominated documentary follows Nan Goldin, one of the greatest photographers of the last century, and her battle to hold the Sackler family accountable for their complicity in the American opioid epidemic. Goldin herself narrates the film as she recounts her dysfunctional childhood, her journey through New York’s underground scene, the fight against AIDS, and her struggles with opioid addiction. This film is poignant yet empowering and a strong reminder of the often-forgotten power of an individual’s courage and community pride. <h2>Wes Anderson’s adaptations of Roald Dahl</h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_5f544b7b89ba58c09565e3905fa47473a3bfd58890aee6ae888807930d7d0646.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20231224071228_5f544b7b89ba58c09565e3905fa47473a3bfd58890aee6ae888807930d7d0646" data-rendition-name="original" width="462" height="699" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Netflix was graced by Wes Anderson’s quartet of reimagining of Road Dahl’s lesser-known short stories. Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl can only be described as a perfect match with Anderson’s eccentric yet measured style perfectly capturing the ridiculousness that is the crueler side of humanity. These full-bodied featurettes may be short but they are far from sweet. <h2>Cairo Conspiracy (Boy from Heaven) </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071236_08f7cd05a6a1fa6a7a9553229591b2ac6aae2f3d4b33108932597b188c374934.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20231224071236_08f7cd05a6a1fa6a7a9553229591b2ac6aae2f3d4b33108932597b188c374934" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="2560" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  This Palme d’Or nominated, Arabic political thriller is a co-production between Sweden, France, and Finland, and follows the naïve son of a village fisherman as he is unwillingly made a pawn in a political-religious power game for the future of Egypt after being accepted to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University. This film is beautiful and gut-wrenching making it clear why it won the best screenplay at Cannes. <h2>Past Lives</h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_f739b85eca6b3768f19dbf4f062e9c91d62e99583344b17aa6862129c6a94e96.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20231224071228_f739b85eca6b3768f19dbf4f062e9c91d62e99583344b17aa6862129c6a94e96" data-rendition-name="original" width="972" height="1440" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Celine Song’s A24-produced directorial debut took the film world by storm this summer and for very good reason. It follows childhood sweethearts Na-young (Nora) and Hae-sung who reunite years after Na-young’s emigration to North America. In some ways this “What if?” film is very much reminiscent of Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” but is also a meditation on cultural identity, memory, nostalgia, and migration. A must-watch. <h2>L’immensita (The Immensity) </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_742f8454c3e18560e2bd2c570491cacc9755607500df7fd6a1b9587e82800d3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20231224071228_742f8454c3e18560e2bd2c570491cacc9755607500df7fd6a1b9587e82800d3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="2764" height="4096" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Penelope Cruz stuns in this turbulent Italian drama. While this film touches on pertinent issues such as gender dysphoria, sexism, abuse, and gentrification, it is more of a demonstration of the strength of a mother’s love and the power to embrace unconformity even if it requires sacrifice. L’immensita is heartbreaking but joyful and Cruz’s performance is truly a tour de force. <h2>Kathal </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_b9aa000d50b1d5deb28577f9a7c2f6f647f9675d163db692ae6138198f96c03b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20231224071228_b9aa000d50b1d5deb28577f9a7c2f6f647f9675d163db692ae6138198f96c03b" data-rendition-name="original" width="450" height="630" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Kathal (Hindi word for Jackfruit) is a Netflix-produced Indian satirical comedy film that follows a small-town police inspector as she investigates the missing Jackfruits of a local politician. This lighthearted film is more than just a quirky comedy and elegantly touches on prevalent issues including corruption, caste discrimination, gender inequality, fake news, and class dynamics.

Reel Rendezvous

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b866d9c7e80680e067853jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="817"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Scroll, scroll, scroll your mouse, gently down the screen. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a scene.Ever since the first lockdown, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-qfx-cinema-needs-a-happy-ending/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cinemas have remained mostly shut</a>. Movies did return to our lives with a bang – but with a deep “ta-dum!” and that dramatic red N on the monitor.Enter <a href="https://www.netflix.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Netflix</a>: our quarantine companion, late-night friend and biggest supporter of procrastination, with its ‘next episode’ auto-plays and daily notifications of the movie or new season.After getting disenchanted by regular cable tv and learning about how entertainment has moved to OTT (over-the-top) media platforms that thrive on a strong Internet connection, we started asking our friends and relatives living abroad to share their Netflix account with us, so that we could enjoy entertainment that our rupee couldn’t afford. They willingly or unwillingly obliged.But now, with the new $500 allowance per credit card per year from a Nepali bank, you can independently purchase your own memberships to multiple streaming platforms, offering endless entertainment at your fingertips, with remote controls that now come with bright red built-in ‘Netflix’ buttons. This button is proof that tv viewing has changed forever.Back in 1997, Netflix started as a simple DVD-by-mail rental service. In 2007, it launched a movie streaming service, which led to a cultural explosion that turned it into the biggest international streaming giant, with more than 207 million members who pay decent money for unlimited access to quality movies and tv series every month.Users pay from $8.99 (single screen streaming) to $15.99 (up to 4 screens per account at a time) per month for curated feeds that are designed to intuitively offer content that are suited to your personal taste, based on your viewing history.Netflix used to be exclusively for watching movies, but lately it strategically shifted its focus to tv and web series, investing billions of dollars in original content, including record-breaking shows like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6468322/">Money Heist</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5071412/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ozark</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2442560/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peaky Blinders</a>.Netflix also bought 83 hours of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Friends</a>, episodes of which people across ages enjoy watching on repeat, along with other popular programs that people used to follow on traditional box tv sets.There are also award-winning documentaries like <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81045007" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">My Octopus Teacher</a> and one-hour comedy specials like Hannah Gadsby’s <a href="https://www.netflix.com/np/title/80233611" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nanette</a>. Additionally, Netflix offers offline viewing, a feature that is precious to those who want to plan their binge-watching when travelling or entering areas without WiFi.Besides Netflix, there are a few others worth spending on, but in Nepal we may require a VPN to view some of these. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Movies/b?ie=UTF8&amp;node=2649512011" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon</a> is at a similar price point, and trying to beat Netflix’s movie collection with its own. Amazon charges $8.99 per month for a Prime Video membership without any additional Amazon shopping perks.For premium movies, Prime requires you to rent or buy them separately. Currently, Prime Video has roughly 24,000 movies and over 2,100 shows under its belt. Prime also offers select content in 4K Ultra HD quality, making investing in a 55-inch LED Smart TV totally worth it.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Movies/b?ie=UTF8&amp;node=2858905011" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Video</a> is compatible with all browsers and devices, but the best part is, it offers a 30-day free trial (credit card required) so you can explore all you want before investing in it. From Amazon original award-winners like the latest <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Metal-Riz-Ahmed/dp/B08KZCFW1C" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sound of Metal</a> to all-round entertainers like the classic whodunnit <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8946378/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Knives Out</a> and everybody’s beloved <a href="https://www.amazon.com/T-Extra-Terrestrial-Henry-Thomas/dp/B009GN6DT4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E.T.</a>, Prime makes sure that once you’re in, you will not run out of movies to enjoy.While Amazon Prime is popular in South Asia, <a href="https://www.hulu.com/welcome?orig_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hulu</a> ranks second-best in the USA. Hulu’s most basic plan costs $5.99 a month, but without ads it is double. For those with deeper pockets, there’s also Hulu Live TV, a premium service with 60 channels that offer sports, news and entertainment, along with standard content for streaming. Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Homeland and American Idol are just some of the hit TV shows that you can happily binge-watch on Hulu, which is more oriented towards TV viewers than movie fanatics. The one downside is that Hulu only allows two streams from the same account at the same time, making it difficult for an entire family to share.The ultimate family-friendly streaming platform is probably <a href="https://preview.disneyplus.com/unavailable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Disney Plus</a>, with movies only up to PG-13 ratings, further emphasising that its focus is on kids’ entertainment. If you are a Marvel movie fan, Star Wars nerd or animated movie enthusiast, this OTT platform is perfect for you. Pixar movies and theatrical productions are also in Disney’s kitty, but it is the Disney classics in its vault (including The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, Aladdin and the new age favourite Frozen) that make it a no-brainer for anybody with children. All this for just $7.99 a month, with full access to its library and no ads.Another platform that is clearly aiming for family audiences is <a href="https://www.apple.com/tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple TV</a> Plus, with a very small content library of over 30 Apple Originals, a variety of content across genres. Apple TV Plus has a fairly generous family sharing plan, allowing up to six family members to use the same account. Even better, they can use their own logins, so you can quietly keep your embarrassing password to yourself.Despite being a big brand, Apple is aggressively pricing its OTT platform at just $4.99 a month. Apple spends on quality, backing big budget productions that provide fresh, original content only, such as the Jennifer Aniston-starrer The Morning Show.Apple hasn’t yet convinced audiences with mind-blowing content yet, but cross-product sales offers do help increase its subscriber base; within 3 months of purchasing a new iPhone, you can avail the offer of a one-year free Apple TV Plus membership.There is one tiny inconvenience: besides Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which can be accessed from Nepal, the rest of streaming platforms listed above can only be accessed via VPN, so before subscribing to them, you might want to consider spending $5 per month on average on a high-performance VPN (Virtual Private Network).A VPN is beneficial even for Netflix and Amazon Prime viewers because it gives access to a slightly different, wider content feed that, say, viewers in the USA get to see.What exactly does a VPN do? It connects you to a proxy server, becoming an intermediary between your device and the Internet and successfully hiding your IP address so that you can view content that is not accessible to Nepal or the region. VPNs let you break through geoblocks and keep your real location protected, so you can get your hands on all kinds of content, apps and services across borders with unlimited bandwidth. Exciting, indeed!The most highly recommended one that offers good value for money is <a href="https://www.expressvpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ExpressVPN</a>, the top-rated VPN of the year 2021. ExpressVPN has thousands of servers across 94 countries that ensure smooth, lightning-fast streaming and excellent data security. Moreover, 30-day money-back guarantee also makes it a risk-free decision. Other excellent VPN options for Nepali users to explore are <a href="https://nordvpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NordVPN</a> (best budget option), <a href="https://privatevpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PrivateVPN</a> (most secure connection), <a href="https://surfshark.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Surfshark</a> (rising in popularity), <a href="https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/en_US/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CyberGhost</a> (best for beginner users) and <a href="https://www.ipvanish.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IPVanish</a> (great for HD streaming).THIS WEEK ON NETFLIXIf you want to dive deep into a movie and feel every moment: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5727208/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uncut Gems</a>, an Oscar-worthy performance by Adam Sandler that makes you sweat, stress and worry as much as the rich, shady characters of the diamond district of New York, shown in the movie.If you want an animated movie that takes you on a fun family adventure: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7979580/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Mitchells vs. the Machines</a>, a Sony Pictures production that gives solid competition to Disney and Pixar with its lovable wannabe filmmaker teenager Katie. Shoutout to her technologically challenged dad, who is, let’s face it, all our dads.If you love a bittersweet dramedy that tells the story of a dysfunctional family through realistic, intelligent writing and relatable adult characters: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5536736/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Meyerowitz Stories</a>, directed by Noah Baumbach of Marriage Story fame. Watch Dustin Hoffman play the father’s role with panache.If you want to get inspired by excellent salesmanship (with questionable ethnics) and enjoy the story of how Ray Kroc made McDonald’s the biggest, most successful burger chain in America: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276820/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Founder</a>, starring Michael Keaton as a conniving business fox, based on a true story.If you like the idea of a French movie that is funny and far from sophisticated or depressing: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857988/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">I Am Not an Easy Man</a>, an out-and-out comedy led by a shameless chauvinist who has a tough time navigating his life when he wakes up to a world where women and men have reversed gender roles and the changed power dynamics make for an entertaining watch.If you miss watching a thrilling Bollywood movie at the movie theatres: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7212754/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ludo</a>, featuring a brilliant cast (Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rajkumar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, etc.) that intertwines four totally different stories bound by fate, chance and crime.

Saniaa Shah

How to Netflix and stay safe during lockdown

<img width="640" height="361" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101152/636a26df9c7e80680e043a3cjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Rap music entered the subcontinent’s musical firmament decades ago, but its essence has never been as well encapsulated as in the new Bollywood film, Gully Boy, that is in cinemas in Kathmandu this week.Right at the outset, protagonist Murad (Ranveer Singh) points out what contemporary Indian rap sounds like: “What kind of song is this? Look, this is my car! Look, this is my girl! Look at all this gold I have!” Yes, those are the rap songs we usually see from the likes of singers like Yoyo Honey Singh in most Bollywood songs.Gully Boy, however, takes us to the origins of rap, born from a need to express and to seek release from pain and suffering, from the need to stay honest and sane in a fake world, a need to seek your own centre in the constant glut of sensations that the world throws at you.It starts with the eponymous Gully Boy Murad (meaning ‘wish’, cleverly named) who lives in a slum with his extended family, just as his father brings home a second wife who is closer in age to him than his father. Murad goes to college so that he does not have to become a chauffeur like his father. But disturbed by everything he sees around him, he writes poetry at night, and is touched one day when he sees a rapper perform the kind of songs he writes.The rest of the movie is more or less predictable, but still a heartwarming tale of his eventual success as a rapper. What makes this movie watchable are the typically Indian characters, and very relatable across South Asia. The one who stands out is Shrikant aka Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) who essays the role of Murad’s mentor with the confidence of a seasoned performer, and not the newcomer that he is. Safeena played by Alia Bhatt is another instantly memorable character. Bhatt turns the role of a supportive girlfriend, a role that may have passed in the blink of an eye, into a fiery portrait of a millennial woman. She is studious, but also adventurous. She loves her parents, but does not hesitate to lie to them when she is going out with her boyfriend. She is smart, and keeps her own communication apps well hidden as she outs another girl who is flirting with her boyfriend. Murad and Safeena’s childhood sweethearts may seem too romanticised and unrealistic in other parts of the world. But not here in South Asia, where everyone is familiar with the game of cat and mouse with family, and sneaky ways to hang out. Meanwhile, the movie also manages to portray what life in Mumbai’s slums actually look like. Murad lives in a cramped loft of a two-room shed, and counts among his friend people who steal cars and deal with drugs. Director Zoya Akhtar’s last movie, the glitzy Dil Dhadakne Do that lacked an engaging story, had fallen flat both commercially and critically, and she had almost been slotted into a rich-world storyteller. With Gully Boy, she proves her versatility and her ability to mine all kinds of social strata. Ultimately, the movie succeeds in showing what rap means in India. For those who are alien to the genre and think rap is about ranting whatever comes to the mind (‘JPT’ in Nepali cyberlingo) Sher (meaning ‘couplet’, another clever name) gives a lecture about the centrality of poetry and rhythm in rap. Sher’s constant mentoring, and Murad’s incessant practicing, also break the myth that stars are born. Instead, it shows how much hard work it takes to be good at what you want to do. One of the most memorable scenes is when Murad is arguing with his father about his dreams, and breaks into rhythm naturally, as if he had internalised it with constant practice. Such poetry fills every moment of our lives, and we only need to open our eye and ears to see and hear them. Gully Boy reminds us how each of us have stories to tell, and if we do not tell them, we may just explode. Ultimately, it is a celebration of the human need to spell out our feelings in the form of art, so that we can connect with each other.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbxcD6biOk

Gully Boy

This is the first instalment in a new limited series in Nepali Times on the historic transportation infrastructures of Nepal. Nepal’s Forest Railways As<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-s-border-trains-that-connected-nepal"> India’s railway network </a>expanded in the 1890s and 1900s, the demand for wooden railway sleepers, called ‘ties’ in America, likewise increased. The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/the-rana-reign-a-recap-of-history,3751">Rana regime</a> realised that western Nepal’s dense forests, from which sal trees could be extracted and sold, represented a valuable source of revenue. There was a problem of accessing large tracts of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-tarai-s-shrinking-forests">Tarai forests</a>. However, once Indian railway lines are extended to Nepal’s border in several places, this issue could be resolved by constructing logging railways, also known as ‘tramways’ or ‘light railways’. The Nepal Government awarded a contract to Punjabi timber contractors to supply 15,000 sal sleepers to Chandan Chauki station of India’s Oudh &amp; Rohilkhand State Railway in 1908. The contractors also received a concession to construct a steam tramway to run 48km into <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/reviving-nepals-community-forestry-success-story">Nepal’s forests</a> for cutting and transporting trees. The author found no records, however, indicating that such an ambitious tramway was built in 1908. The hewn logs were probably carried into India by bullock carts or <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/elephants-become-white-elephants">elephants</a>. The earliest known forest railway in Nepal was built in 1914 in the southwestern corner of the present-day Parsa district. A British engineer went to the Indian border town of Bikna Thori to plan a 4-mile portable light railway for the transport of timber from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/on-the-tri-junction-of-wildlife-conservation-conflict-and-co-existence">the forest of Chitwan </a>to the Thori depot on the Bengal &amp; Northwestern Railway. This short line was laid upon wooden sleepers, and its rails could be taken up and repositioned when logging in one section of the forest was completed. This forest railway was in operation at least through 1917.&nbsp; A few year down the line in 1923, J V Collier of the Indian Forest Service built a narrow-gauge railway in Kailali district also to export of timber to India. This line, the Nepal Government Forest Railway, departed Chandan Chauki in Uttar Pradesh and ran 48km northwest into Nepal.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250824150820_84ddef57433c2f847b2c7e56c2d9c924084b6e6a504bbca905d2c593fac8eabd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250824150820_84ddef57433c2f847b2c7e56c2d9c924084b6e6a504bbca905d2c593fac8eabd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1130" height="689" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's little railways"> <figcaption>A Nepal Government Forest train in Kailali District hauling sal sleepers in 1925. Photo: DAVID CHURCHILL </figcaption> </figure>  It was a 2-foot railway supported by 11kg rails. The line was ‘temporary’ in that as sal trees were thinned out in one area, railway tracks were shifted to uncut areas of the forest. The railway crossed seven small <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-what-is-left-of-himalayan-rivers">rivers</a>, but the bridges were taken down during the summer and monsoon. Trains ran only from November to April. This forest railway purchased four 4-6-0T ‘tank’ engines built in Leeds, England. Each bogie could carry 100 broad-gauge sleepers, and two engines were needed to haul a 21-car train loaded with 2,100 sleepers. This huge commercial forest operation once employed about 14,000 men, most of them Indians. During one season, nearly 800,000 broad and metre-gauge sleepers were exported to India. When India suffered a depression in 1930, large scale operations came to an end. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/rust-in-peace?fbclid=IwAR1_eg88TCOS6RGRW1af7WvaWx5mzh_rY8-vT1MnJxSs41QtCpaA988oXk8">Rust in peace</a>, Daniel W Edwards  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250824150828_13a0b894b9ea0c478904d358028f0c976d84f284432ee25106787366598d38e5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250824150828_13a0b894b9ea0c478904d358028f0c976d84f284432ee25106787366598d38e5" data-rendition-name="original" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's railways"> <figcaption>Rails extended north from this spot into the virgin sal forests of Bardia in western Nepal 100 years ago.  DANIEL W EDWARDS</figcaption> </figure>  A third railway was built in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-big-bulls-of-bardia">Bardia </a>where some scattered rails and signs of an old roadbed were seen in the 1960s. It ran from Nishangada in India to Khairbhatti in Nepal. From there, stations heading south were Ranipur, Karmak, Taratal and Madhuwan. Collier likely <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-train-project-struggles-to-stay-on-track">built this railway </a>as well in the 1920s. An elderly man in Bardia in 2022, whose father had worked on this forest railway, was interviewed for this account. Kathmandu Valley’s Motor (Trolley) Railway Merchants importing goods from India via the<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/business/ropeways-connecting-nepal,1749"> ropeway</a> Chandra Shamsher built in 1927 had to go to the ropeway’s terminus at Matatirtha near Thankot to claim their goods and then haul them 6km to the customs house Bhansar Adda at Teku for clearance and payment of customs duties. The Motor Railway was built to carry goods from the<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16839"> ropeway station </a>directly to the customs office, making it cheaper and more convenient for merchants to receive their shipments. In December 1931, Prime Minister Bhim Shamsher issued an order (sanad) putting Lt Gen Singha Shamsher Rana in charge of building this rail line to Teku and on to ‘Nabalak Khana’ in Tripureswar, a distance of 10km. The project was subdivided into four sections or ‘phant’, and for each, budgets and timelines were established. There was bato phant (constructing the roadbed), lik sleeper and jordne phant (laying sleepers and joining the rails), culvert phant (installing culverts) and pul phant (building bridges). Colonel Kishore Narsingh Rana was put in charge of the sleeper and rail section, while Colonel Dilli Jung Thapa, an engineer at Ghar Kaj Adda, also was involved. The Motor Railway was completed by the end of 1933. In the beginning, the railway’s small wagons may have been pulled and pushed by men and bullocks. However, in 1938 a British railway manufacturer sent Nepal a four-wheel, 5½ ton, 2-foot narrow-gauge diesel-powered locomotive with mechanical transmission, hence the name motor railway. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-railways-janakpur-test-drive?fb_comment_id=3554227181262227_4263866616964943">Nepal Railways Janakpur test drive</a> Leaving Matatirtha, the trains passed Satungal, Naikap, the Bishnudevi Temple, crossed an iron bridge over Balkhu Khola, then to Ghattepakha, Sunagau, through what is now a section of Kuleshwor (‘Lik Marg’) to the Customs Office at Teku.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250825020852_033f0cee9775d7dadde7811132f84da876f614c386e3677e560ba7aed79909d9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="20250825020852_033f0cee9775d7dadde7811132f84da876f614c386e3677e560ba7aed79909d9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="railways in Nepal"> <figcaption>Lik Marg in Kuleswor, the former route of the Motor Trolley Railway. Photo: DANIEL W EDWARDS</figcaption> </figure>  In 1945, Motor Trolley had four engines, but spare parts was badly needed. The charge for transporting one maund (about 40kg) of cargo from Matatirtha to Teku was 50 paisa. Even though the trains ran slowly and only for a short distance, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/fatalism-and-fatalities">accidents were not unknown</a>. A train loaded with rice, salt and cotton derailed on a curve in July 1946, and two railway employees were crushed under the cars and killed, five others were injured. Besides the driver and a brakeman, guards rode the trains to prevent theft of goods.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250824150836_63a327d4db3b067a23dd5c6cf17a31ffe811ffd4a8429bc31011d62298a90060.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20250824150836_63a327d4db3b067a23dd5c6cf17a31ffe811ffd4a8429bc31011d62298a90060" data-rendition-name="original" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's railways"> <figcaption>The author by the remains of the Balkhu Khola bridge built in 1932 with American steel. Photo: JEEVAN NEPAL</figcaption> </figure>  By 1953, government budget estimates indicated the Motor Railway would break even with an income of Rs70,000 against Rs71,000 in expenditure. It appears the railway stopped service around 1957 with the opening of the Raj Path and the extension of the ropeway from Matatirtha to Bhansar Adda. Bent steel beams of the bridge across Balkhu Khola and two plaques recovered from the river a few years ago are the only remains of this railway today. Photos of the Motor Trolley Railway in operation are hard to come by.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250825020848_3a7cd17d0ffc36bbf5fdad404f5f6e91c7aa0e4f4ed729ed2c7e9c186f32ca9b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_18" data-image-id="20250825020848_3a7cd17d0ffc36bbf5fdad404f5f6e91c7aa0e4f4ed729ed2c7e9c186f32ca9b" data-rendition-name="original" width="5189" height="1979" loading="lazy" alt="railways in Nepal"> <figcaption>Steel plaque commemorating the construction of a Motor Trolley bridge across the Balkhu Khola. Photo: DANIEL W EDWARDS</figcaption> </figure>  The Kosi Project Railway (KPR) As early as 1941, India and Nepal considered building a dam on<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-kosi-s-sorrow-and-scope"> the Kosi River</a> to prevent destructive floods caused by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/when-it-rains-it-pours-ksqprbu3">monsoon rains</a>. Floods in 1950 inundated 500 villages in Bihar and left 500,000 people homeless. The two governments signed an agreement in 1954 to build a barrage on the Kosi, and King Mahendra and Prime Minister Nehru laid the foundation stone in April 1959. To transport stones from a quarry near Dharan to use in mixing concrete at the construction site, the Indian government, in charge of building the barrage, made plans to build a narrow-gauge railway linking Bihar and its border town of Bhimnagar with Nepal’s settlements at Chakraghatti, Chatra and Ghopa, the outskirts of Dharan.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250824150816_fc5e13b01022c63c64f1e83589da0015eee7ecd002bdd3d97b88c98c1f3d45b7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_21" data-image-id="20250824150816_fc5e13b01022c63c64f1e83589da0015eee7ecd002bdd3d97b88c98c1f3d45b7" data-rendition-name="original" width="4011" height="2645" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's railways"> <figcaption>Steel plaque commemorating the construction of a Motor Trolley bridge across the Balkhu Khola. Photo: DANIEL W EDWARDS</figcaption> </figure>  The section of the KPR in Nepal totaled 66km — the country’s longest railway to date. The stations south of Chakraghatti were Rajabas, Maduhuwan, Kushaha, Haripur and Bhantabari. The line built, operated and owned by the Indian Government, was opened in 1958 and known locally as Dhunge (stone) Rail. Procuring locomotives, wagons and other materials was a challenge. India’s Railway Board searched the country for old 41 lb rails, and located steam engines, most built around 1910, in poor condition, and stored in ‘retirement’. These decrepit locomotives were later cannibalised for parts to keep the remaining engines running, and six newer locomotives built in Yugoslavia were sent to the KPR in 1960 to prevent the railway from shutting down and halting construction of the barrage.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250824150832_fd644f9e2674c5047a531de5dfeb2c8860b0f93dddc7a2df3db867bf31b2c94b.bmp" data-media-id="editor_22" data-image-id="20250824150832_fd644f9e2674c5047a531de5dfeb2c8860b0f93dddc7a2df3db867bf31b2c94b" data-rendition-name="original" width="3171" height="2069" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's railways"> <figcaption>KPR locomotives, water tank and staff at Chakraghatti in Nepal. Photo: JOHN BENSON</figcaption> </figure>  Used bogie-wagons (gondolas) came from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-nepal-rail-diplomacy">Indian railways</a> that had been converted to metre-gauge, others were manufactured in Muzaffarpur without couplers due to the non-availability of steel. A hundred new wagons arrived from Japan, but only half could be put in service, as couplers from the other 50 were removed and attached to the Muzaffarpur wagons. This smorgasbord of equipment kept shop mechanics and work crews busy, but now-abandoned railways in Nepal always operated under less-than-ideal conditions. Although the purpose of the KPR was to transport gravel, stones and boulders to the site of the barrage, photographs show people riding in loaded wagons. Excluding Dharan, there was no bus service through the wild animal infested jungle between Dharan and Chakraghatti or along the dusty paths linking other small villages on the KPR, so patient locals sat in wagons at Dharan, waiting perhaps for hours for trains to depart.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250825020852_7d011dcc8e9b8cb0fe745b352486ebc4a84dac99419eadb35875333db20837c6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_24" data-image-id="20250825020852_7d011dcc8e9b8cb0fe745b352486ebc4a84dac99419eadb35875333db20837c6" data-rendition-name="original" width="3965" height="2659" loading="lazy" alt="railways in Nepal"> <figcaption>Ticketless riders on a train of gravel and stones in the forest between Dharan and Chakragatti in 1966. Photo: JOHN BENSON</figcaption> </figure>  Sons of former railway workers in Chakraghatti say that there were no fixed schedules, three or four trains ran both ways daily in the early 1960s. Southbound trains carried gravel, stones and boulders, while northbound trains would carry coal, cement and provisions, including sacks of coins to pay the workers. Trains even ran at night, and the crews worked long hours. Workers received free housing in project-built tenements but had to buy food supplies and items for personal use. The Babu Saheb or the superintendent lived at Chakraghatti, and at one time supervised more than 1,000 employees, nearly all of them from India. The barrage was completed in 1964, but by 1970, the Kosi Project Railway had passed into history. Daniel W Edwards was a Peace Corps volunteer in 1966 and is the author of several books on Nepal.

Nepal’s five little railways

· &nbsp;At least 400 people are dead or missing after heavy rainfall lashed arid regions of northwestern Pakistan. Walls of mud and boulders engulfed entire villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. More than 700 people have been killed in floods in Pakistan since June.&nbsp; · &nbsp;Over in India’s Jammu and Kashmir at the same time, multiple slurry floods on 17-18 August killed more than 80 people · A mudslide possibly caused by a glacial collapse upstream in Uttarakhand on 5 August nearly wiped the village of Dharali off the map. At least 70 people, 23 of them Nepalis are dead or missing. · On the night of 8 July, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/rasuwa-flood-likely-a-glof">glacial lakes in Tibet overflowed</a>. By dawn the mudflow had demolished the Nepal-China border bridge killing at least 11 people, destroyed hydropower plants, swept away bridges, roads, over 100 cargo trucks and newly imported electric vehicles. All these disasters have a common thread: a cascade of hazards caused by record-breaking rainfall on fragile Himalayan slopes destabilised by melting glaciers and permafrost, seismicity and poorly engineered infrastructure. They are called ‘rain bombs’ — a heavy localised downpour measuring more than 100mm/h on a steep mountainside. As global warming heats the atmosphere, warmer air can hold more water vapour. The heavy rain then falls where there should be snowfall: on moraines and slopes that have lost the permafrost adhesive that held the debris together. “Increasingly, there is now more rainfall at higher altitudes where there used to be snowfall previously, and this directly impacts loose material in that fragile landscape which moves down,” explains Mohan B Chand, a Himalayan Glaciologist at Kathmandu University. “Moreover, the rains these days are heavy and fall within a few hours. So even a small burst has bigger impact.” The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/drones-to-the-rescue-in-melamchi">2021 Melamchi flood</a> and the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/sikkim-flood-is-warning-to-nepal">Sikkim disaster in 2023</a> have been attributed to record-breaking torrential rain on a glacial moraine that collapsed, unleashing a catastrophic debris flow.&nbsp; The Bhote Kosi flood this year happened even without torrential rain, and originated at rapidly expanding supraglacial lakes that overflowed, similar to what happened on the Mendenhall Galcier in Alaska last week. In Uttarakhand, the trigger could be in the upper catchment cryosphere, or a landslide dammed lake. Basanta Raj Adhikari of the Centre for Disaster Studies at the Institute of Engineering also calls them ‘sediment bombs’. He clarifies: “There is lots of sediment up there from landslides or glacial activity, and when there is heavy rainfall and hotter temperature, they are unleashed downstream. One thing is for sure, these extreme events are getting more frequent and more destructive.” Researcher Alton C Byers who has studied melting glaciers in the Himalaya and Andes names the eight most potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal: Lower Barun, Chamlang North Tso, Chamlang South Tso, Dig Tso which burst in 1984, Lumding Tso, Thulagi, Tso Rolpa and Imja Tso (see map).  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250822030844_70b3bf6a1ad9b9f9481c9af860629b2a05ac1338a3b89a831506f1c6bdddf5ec.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20250822030844_70b3bf6a1ad9b9f9481c9af860629b2a05ac1338a3b89a831506f1c6bdddf5ec" data-rendition-name="original" width="522" height="557" loading="lazy" alt="high risk glacial lakes in Nepal"> </figure>  Of these, Tso Rolpa and Imja have been lowered by 3m each, while Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho, and Hongu 2 glacial lakes have been targeted for lowering by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology as part of the recent Green Climate Fund grant of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/meltpools-in-the-himalaya" target="_blank">$36.1 million awarded to Nepal</a>. “These lakes have changed over the years as their debris-covered glaciers continue to recede,” Byers told Nepali Times. “When water volume in the lake basin increases, they become more vulnerable to flood triggers such as overhanging ice as glaciers recede further to their headwalls, and permafrost on their moraines continues to melt.” <h2>These are not ‘natural disasters’</h2> Scientists have given the current planetary epoch a name: the Anthropocene. And anthropogenic causes in this era heighten the risk of disasters. Indeed, an analysis of recent Himalayan calamities (page 1) shows that there is much more at play here than climate breakdown. Haphazard encroachment of floodplains, quarrying and crusher activity exacerbated the effect of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/when-it-rains-it-pours-ksqprbu3">extreme rainfall on 28 September around Kathmandu Valley</a> that killed 200 people. The human cost of the 5 August catastrophe in Uttarakhand would have been high in any case, but the fact that the tiny village had expanded across a vulnerable alluvial fan to cater to a tourism boom meant more death and destruction. There are similar alluvial fans across Nepal, where small towns have expanded because new highways follow rivers, like Beni located at the confluence of the Myagdi Khola and Kali Gandaki. Other towns like Kagbeni or Damauli are located on the banks of rivers and tributaries that are directly downstream from rapidly expanding glacial lakes or unstable mountains. “In Butwal, people are building houses on the floodplain of the Tinau River, and yet people blame climate change or rainfall when there is a disaster,” says Basanta Raj Adhikari at the Institute of Engineering. “This is happening all over the country. Imagine the kind of devastation Beni would suffer if there was a big flood.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250822030848_ed411f8618c7a411ed4c165e91f3b880abb085a8a511405710dd8220f657da84.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250822030848_ed411f8618c7a411ed4c165e91f3b880abb085a8a511405710dd8220f657da84" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" alt="Beni Bazar"> <figcaption>RISKY CONFLUENCE: Beni has expanded rapidly after the highway to Mustang was built. But the town is situated on the alluvial fan of past flash floods on both the Kali Gandaki and Myagdi Khola which have dangerous glacial lakes in their upper catchment. Photo: BENI TOURISM</figcaption> </figure>  Traditionally, Nepal’s villages and settlements were located high above rivers because our forebears learnt lessons from recurring flash floods. Now, the road network follows rivers, and towns have sprung up along these highways. Even when roads are not on river banks, many gouge out slopes above, unleashing massive landslides that block rivers. Experts say Nepal’s hazard map should now be updated for glacial outbursts so municipalities can plan risk-sensitive land use zoning. This &nbsp;must go hand-in-hand with measures to reduce the risk by structural mitigation, such as engineering and construction, and then with risk awareness and early-warning systems. Says Himalayan researcher Alton C Byers: “Sooner or later, communities will realise that certain sites are simply no longer safe for a village or city, especially because of climate change in the mountains. The Himalaya has always been high-risk with its steep slopes, thin soil, monsoon rainfall regime, and frequent seismic activity. So, some places are no longer safe to live in.” Mohan B Chand of Kathmandu University adds that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-smarter-himalayan-infrastructure">hazard mapping is especially crucial for expensive hydropower plants</a>: “Most of these are on snow-fed rivers, but environmental risk assessment is not taken seriously.” He says that because Nepal is set to generate 28,500MW by 2035 to meet its carbon neutral target, the government must work to minimise upstream risk by integrating disaster mitigation components in new energy investments. Few know that Nepal’s first hazard mapping was done 40 years ago in the Khumbu with a United Nations University study titled ‘Highland Lowland Interactive Systems’. It is hard to find that document anywhere. Today, hazard mapping technologies, satellite remote sensing, drones, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and modelling with AI have made it much easier to integrate multi-hazard risk assessment. That data needs to be made available to local governments so they can plan. Cell phones and new apps that monitor real-time glacial lake levels, live precipitation and hydrological data, and local weather forecasts can make early warning systems more effective. Recent disasters have shown that even the smallest of glacial lakes that are rarely considered in risk assessments can cause much damage. Langmale Lake in the Barun Valley was less than 0.1 km2 in size, but <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-mountains-are-melting" target="_blank">the flood in 2017</a> caused extensive downstream damage. The 2012 Seti flood in Pokhara, the Chamoli disaster in Uttarakhand in 2021, the South Lhonak proglacial lake burst in Sikkim in 2023 that washed away the $1.7 billion Chungthang Teesta III Project, and the August 2024 floods above Thame in Khumbu are other recent examples.&nbsp; Byers thinks some of these floods may have been initially triggered by massive rockfall or moraine collapse related to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-not-so-permanent-frost" target="_blank">melting permafrost</a>. The size of a glacial lake alone does not determine the severity of destruction. What makes all the difference is downstream development, and if there pre-warning. Dig Tso in Khumbu which burst in 1984, was much larger than the lake that caused the Bhote Kosi flood in July, but the economic cost to the country of the trans-boundary disaster this year was much higher. Says glaciologist Chand: “We have to monitor the lakes, not just via remote sensing but with field visits. These may be costly, but mitigating the risk is less expensive than the disasters themselves.” Nepal has the technology and trained personnel to do hazard mapping, monitoring, and to design early warning apps. That data and information now needs to be available to all three levels of government to improve preparedness and risk reduction. “The cascading and compounding hazards are increasing in the Himalaya, this must be the subject of our research now,” says Adhikari at the Centre for Disaster Studies. “Recent events are a wake-up call, if we do not take this seriously things may be more dangerous in future.”

Rain bombs

The cost of preserving Nepal’s past

Turkish Airlines is official airline partner for the second edition of the Vatsalya Everest Women’s Volleyball League (EWV). The league, scheduled for 5-13 September, will take place in Pokhara and feature 18 international players alongside elite Nepali volleyball talent. The agreement was signed by Turkish General Manager Serkan Başar, and EWV CEO Snevy Chapagain. “Turkish Airlines’ support ensures a seamless journey and adds immense prestige to the league’s goal of women’s empowerment through sports as well as the agenda of sports tourism,” said Chapagain. “We are thrilled to partner with Vatsalya Everest Women’s Volleyball League as the official airline. With this association, we aim to support women role models in sports. We believe this association will connect countries to Nepali volleyball,” remarked Basar.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250825030844_36df66612152abbea71f15579358a2bb0fe797f21cbe7e7c7f28e3fe91655ae4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20250825030844_36df66612152abbea71f15579358a2bb0fe797f21cbe7e7c7f28e3fe91655ae4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Turkish"> </figure>

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