Nepal, May 4 -- Movie confronts the age old debate of love vs. norms through a strong unapologetic female character in 19th century Nepal

A2025 historical that won Best Feature Film in the South Asian Panorama section at the 9th annual Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) last month, Jaar is an adaptation of a classic short story of the same name by award winning author Indra Bahadur Rai.

This was its first ever on screen adaptation after years of reinterpretation in stage productions. Set in 19th century Nepal during the Rana regime, Jaar revolves around Thuli, a young married Magar woman living in eastern Nepal (played by Sikkimese actress Geetanjali Thapa), and her affair with a Gurung man (portrayed by Saugat Malla).

Jaar fol...