Nepali Cinema Outperforms Foreign Films in Box Office Revenue and Attendance

Kathmandu. For a long time, Nepali filmmakers have complained that 'Hindi films are eating up the Nepali market.' However, recent data released by the Film Development Board shows that the business of Nepali films has been strong.

According to the board's data, Nepali films have challenged and surpassed foreign films in both business and audience numbers.

In the period from ०८२ Baisakh to Chaitra, a total of 150 films were screened in Nepali cinema halls, including 93 foreign and 57 domestic films.

Although foreign films dominate in terms of quantity, Nepali films appear to be the preferred choice for audiences.

According to the data, the commercial success of Nepali films is impressive compared to foreign films. Out of the 57 Nepali films released this year, the commercial details of 56 films have been made public. The film 'Ramnaam Satya' was recently released, so its details are yet to come.

These 56 films have grossed over 1.08 billion 38 million rupees. On the other hand, the business of 93 foreign films (Hindi, English, and others) is seen at 1.11 billion 52 million rupees.

The most important aspect is audience attendance. According to the board, more than 3.78 million Nepali viewers visited the halls this year. For foreign films, the number of viewers was over 3.32 million.

This year, 458,000 more viewers watched Nepali films compared to foreign films. While the total collection of foreign films is 1.11 billion 52 million rupees, it is the contribution of 93 films, whereas Nepali films achieved similar business with only 56 films, indicating a strong market for domestic cinema.

Hindi films: Fear or illusion?

Nepali filmmakers have always considered Bollywood or Hindi films as their main obstacle. Therefore, producers look at the release dates of Hindi films first when scheduling their own.

There has been a belief that if Hindi films are not released, their films will do better business, but this year's data completely rejects the narrative that Hindi films ruin Nepali cinema.

This year, 39 Hindi films were screened in Nepal, while the number of Nepali films was 57. That is, even in terms of numbers, there are 18 more Nepali films than Hindi ones.

The commercial comparison is even more interesting. While 39 Hindi films grossed 680.7 million rupees across Nepal, 57 Nepali films grossed over 1.08 billion rupees. Thus, the business of Nepali films is 393 million rupees more than that of Hindi films.

How much money goes abroad for foreign films?

Foreign films in Hindi, English, and other languages are screened in Nepal. For non-Hindi foreign films, distributors do not have to invest initially when bringing the film to Nepal. In such cases, 50 percent of the business goes to the film's producers and 50 percent to the Nepali distributor. Regarding Hindi films, distributor Manoj Rathi says that they have to pay between 1 million to 30 million rupees after watching the film.

'The money varies depending on the Hindi film,' says distributor Rathi, 'On average, one can say that 5 million goes out per film.'

According to the board's data, 39 Hindi films were imported this year. If we base it on Manoj Rathi's statement, 195 million rupees have gone out through those Hindi films.

Similarly, the remaining 54 foreign films have grossed over 434.5 million rupees. 50 percent of this amount comes to 217.2 million rupees. According to the data, 412.2 million rupees have been sent abroad this year alone from foreign films (including Hindi and English).