I always feel excited to watch a Nepali movie in a full packed hall and that's what happened on the first day show for the movie that I am going to write something on. Another thing, I was also eager to watch the movie for the daring content of social stigma for the homosexuality in Nepal where two homosexual girls/boys living together for life are taken as a taboo.
'Soongava-dance of the orchids' is based on the social demarcation that people dare to go beyond though their utmost desire is to live a life they want, cross any social barriers coming the way.
The movie shows how two girls Kiran Sharma (Nisha Adhikari) and Dia Bajracharya- (Dia Maskey) develop love through their friendship and decides to live together when Diya's family are preparing to marry her to a guy. Despite their families denial and society's glare for their lesbian relationship, they choose their destiny living together and the consequences follow that I won't be revealing here.
Directed by Subarna Thapa, Soongava was selected in many international film festivals and also screened in our own Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF 2012).
Outstanding performance from Diya Maskey and Saugat Malla make people spellbound to their characters and close shots emotions feels real in the movie. Nisha Adhikari's masculine homo sex is quite shadowed by Deeya and Saugats amazing performance. Another thing worth mentioning is the uniform color contrast that I forgot to mention for 'Dhanda' being quite non uniform. Music by Sylvain Morizet is quite soothing and mixes well with the movie flow. But the sluggish flow and unnecessary English dialogues is annoying sometimes.
Though the movie goes well for the portrayal of love, insecurity, family barriers and fight, there are some scenes that is overdone for an international movie (production collaborated with a french cine company) , a scene with senior artist like Basundhara Bhusal speaking English poorly with upside-down iPhone seems not real.
"Timro Tyo Nazarle" by Ciney Gurung- an original soundtrack from the movie Soongava.
"Timro Tyo Nazarle" by Ciney Gurung- an original soundtrack from the movie Soongava.
The awkward moment for straight people is to watch two girls or two boys kissing/cuddling in a big screen with people next to their sides. Such cuddling scene if not done properly risks your whole movie but for this movie its done nicely without making it vulgar, that prompted people to laugh other than knowing how to respond.
Lastly I am not that intelligent to find a link between the English title "dance of the orchids" and some dance performances by Diya Maskey in the movie. Poor me!!!
