short movie review of jhola

• Culture & Lifestyle

• Madhesh Province
• Lumbini Province
• Bagmati Province
• National Security
• Koshi Province
• Gandaki Province
• Karnali Province
• Sudurpaschim Province
• International Sports
• Brunch with the Post
• Life & Style
• Entertainment
• Investigations
• Climate & Environment
• Science & Technology
• Visual Stories
• Crosswords & Sudoku
• Corrections
• Letters to the Editor
• Today's ePaper

Without Fear or Favour UNWIND IN STYLE

What's News :

• Foreign affiliations of Nepali colleges
• Daman Nath Dhungana
• Local by-elections
• Nepal and geopolitics
• Cyber fraud surge in Nepal

Revisiting ‘Jhola’: Social commentary done right

Kshitiz Pratap Shah

‘Jhola’ has a special place in the history of Nepali cinema. Almost unanimously revered and even nominated as Nepal’s Oscar submission in 2014, it is seen as an outlier in its unique addressing of a dated yet complex social issue. When I first watched it as a 13-year-old (almost a decade ago), it created a stellar impression in my mind. What ‘Jhola’ did in comparison to other movies on social issues is introduce nuances to its subject matter and make us question whether we place the blame on the right entities for such social evils. Instead of leaning into melodrama and simplification, the movie, for me, was a way of questioning a linear, black-and-white way of thinking back then. Now, when I rewatched the film nearly after a decade, I still feel that a great part of that authentic, even challenging essence of the movie still remains.

‘Jhola,’ based on Krishna Dharabasi’s short story of the same name, follows a small family from the rural hilly region of Nepal in the 1940s. Our protagonist (Garima Panta) is identified not by her name but simply referred to as Kanchhi. Her husband (Deepak Chhetri) is nearly thrice her age and is on his deathbed. Kanchhi also has a young son (Sujal Nepal), who often acts as the audience’s surrogate in the movie. Between father and son, Kanchhi is shown as the all-caring mother, responsible for everyone’s well-being. In fact, we get to see this family dynamic for nearly a third of the film and focus on the love given to Kanchhi by these two. We are concerned not only for her well-being, or due to a moral obligation, but also because we realise how the ‘sati’ tradition—which mandated that a woman burn along with her dead husband—immediately and permanently breaks familial bonds apart.

Kanchhi’s husband insists on not letting Kanchhi go to ‘sati.’ He understands just how young she is and presents this wish to her and his young son personally. Yet, this idea, constantly appealed to by the son during the funeral, feed into deaf ears. The cultural links associated with the system are entrenched to the point of being detrimental. ‘Jhola’ thus showcases how even the perpetrators of the ‘sati’ tradition are merely enacting a deep-set norm in the social conscience, which reveals that the issue of ‘sati’ transcends personal morality.

One of the few moments where the movie falters is during the death of the father. While we know enough about Kanchhi and the issue at hand to feel sympathetic towards her, the funeral scene, in particular, relies more on telling rather than showing. We see the sister-in-law (Laxmi Giri) side with Kanchhi while consoling Ghanashyam, the son. Yet, her complaints about the hypocrisy of the ‘sati’ tradition feels like a modern insertion, something added in hindsight. While theoretically valid and poignant, the movie rarely visualises her ideas until the end, where we see the extent of the tradition through violence on another ‘sati’ victim.

However, ‘Jhola’ remains personal and grounded for the most part. A large part of this is due to the acting of the two leads. Panta as Kanchhi is toned down, but it works great. She seems not merely a victim but also someone capable of carrying the familial weight on her shoulders. She plays Kanchhi as someone experienced and emotionally stable beyond her years. This doesn’t mean her character doesn’t emote at all—there are scenes where she gives her all. Her crying after the death of her husband is one such moment, a rare instance where Kanchhi breaks down, dismantling the shield she has constructed so well so far.

Similarly, Sujal Nepal brings relatability to the character of Ghanashyam. His character shows compassion and loyalty to Kanchhi, but he rarely overplays his part.

The screenplay uses metaphors, flashbacks and dream sequences to its advantage. The dying father’s dream of seeing himself in fire foreshadows the burning of his wife and the sudden change it brings to his family. Yet, these additions also break the monotony of the present and justify character motivations in a refreshing way.

Most importantly, though, the movie structures itself to be constantly linked to the present, as we see the story of Kanchhi and Ghanashyam play merely as a flashback to the turmoils of suspicion, doubt and unjustified violence in the middle of the Maoist insurgency. Dharabasi, the author of the short story, also makes an appearance, largely to remind us how contextual such discriminatory social evils still are in our society.

In fact, the dowry system, chhaupadi and witch trials still happen in Nepal. The ending is bitter-sweet (and perhaps even ironic), as Dharawasi pays homage to Chandra Shumsher, who allegedly abolished the ‘sati’ tradition but led an oppressive regime that was plagued by other forms of exploitation. This juxtaposed ending ultimately does a great job of leaving the audience at an edge—forcing us to come to terms with the deep-set rot of injustices lodged into our social systems.

Language: Nepali

Released: 2013

Available on: YouTube , with English subtitles

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Cast: Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri

Kshitiz Pratap Shah Kshitiz Pratap Shah was a Culture and Lifestyle intern. He is an undergraduate student at Ashoka University, pursuing an English & Media Studies major.

Related News

The lantern’s lure

Caste dynamics that shape life

WOW Festival 2024 to feature film masterclasses

The beauty of unspoken affection

A tale of tyranny and revenge

In ‘Jigra’, Alia Bhatt successfully reinvents the cornered anti-hero of 1970s Bollywood

Most read from movies.

Editor's Picks

What Trump 2.0 might mean for Nepal

TIA’s reduced flight hours could stall economic growth

Eyes north, ears south

‘Assertive Oli’ on the back foot as some plans falter

Tihar joy fades for families hit by floods and landslides

E-paper | november 18, 2024.

• Read ePaper Online

• Preeti to unicode
• Keshav Sir's Site
• Rupindra Sir's Site
• OPT ENGLISH XI
• OPT ENGLISH XII
• Comp. ENGLISH XI
• Comp. ENGLISH XII

• TB, TG, Curri. and Ques.
• _Curriculum
• _Specification Grids
• _Teacher's Guide
• _QUESTION BANK
• _Questions and Reference Materials
• _Guided Writing
• _Free Writing
• _Movie Review
• _Grammar Rules
• _Grammar Exercises
• _Grammar Quiz
• Grade 11/12
• _Grammar 11
• _Guided and Free Writing
• __Guided Writing
• __Free Writing
• __Questions
• _Grade 12 (Literature Part)
• _Grade 11 (Literature Part)
• TSC Materials
• __Secondary
• __Basic (6-8)
• _Free Competition (KHULLA)
• __Basic (1-5)
• _INTERNAL 25 percent (Badhuwa)

Movie/ Film Review: Jhola

  Movie Review on ‘Jhola’

Title of the movie: Jhola

Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Producers: Raj Timalsina, Ram Gopal Thapa and Sushil Shah

Starring: Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri

Genre: Social

Duration: 90 minutes

Language: Nepali

Release Date: 7 December 2013

‘Jhola’ is a Nepali film based on Krishna Dharawasi’s short story “Jhola”. It has depicted Nepali society about the Sati tradition that was prevalent until the 1920s. The film has beautifully presented the issues of violence against women. “Has Nepalese society really passed through such inhuman tradition?” is the question every youngster wonders about.

The plot develops with the death of Garima’s husband in which she has to immolate herself upon her husband’s death, typically on his funeral pyre. She is supposed to be burnt alive with the dead body of her husband according to the tradition. However, she escapes the fire and hides in a cave. The help of her son fascinates the audience.

Almost all the scenes seem realistic and historical. Traditional tools like dhiki , janto , madaani , etc. give a traditional look to the film. Similarly traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place represent ancient environment to the spectators. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches Kamara Kamari (a kind of slavery) tradition. What a beautiful cinematography it is! I think costumes of the artists and the leaf music in traditional tunes touch the heart of every one present in the cinema hall. Garima’s natural appearance, her role and her acting are spellbinding and add to the beauty of the movie.

This is a must watch movie. Don’t miss it.

You may like these posts

Post a comment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Subscribe (youtube), date and time.

Facebook Page

• Action Research
• Audio Materials
• Free Writing
• Grammar Exercises
• Grammar Quiz
• Grammar Rules
• Grammar test Class 9/10
• Guided Writing
• License Basic (6-8)
• License Secondary
• Literature Part Grade 11
• LIVE WORKSHEETS
• Optional English (Grade 11)
• Optional English (Grade 12)
• Please give me feedback too.
• Question Bank
• Reference Materials
• Result sheets
• Specification Grid
• Teachers' Guide
• शिक्षक सेवा आयोग सामग्री

Report Abuse

Total pageviews, contributors.

• रुपिन्द्र प्रभावी

Social Plugin

Popular posts.

All Materials of Grade 10 (New Book 2080)

Unit 1 Current Affairs and Issues (Grade 10) Reading II

All Units of Class Nine

Important sites for english.

• British Council
• Education World
• Live Work Sheets
• MCQ TIMES for all subjects
• Road to Grammar
• Work Sheet Place

Important Common Sites

• National Examination Board
• Curriculum Development Centre
• Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
• Teachers Service Commission
• Centre for Education and Human Resource Development
• The Official Portal of Government of Nepal
• Public Service Commission
• E-pustakalaya
• Looma Website for 1 to 10
• OLE Nepal-Epaath for 1 to 8
• Department of Information
• Nepal Law Commission

Important Blogs

About the blogger.

• Dev Prasad Pandit

Khairahani-4, Chainpur, Chitwan

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 9845054921

Youtube and Other Links

• Khan Academy
• NCED Virtual Class
• Khullakitab
• Lesson Plan
• Sikai Chautari
• Social Studies (Rajan Neupane Sir)

Menu Footer Widget

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.

Nepali Times

6-12 december 2013 #684.

Based on author Krishna Dharabasi’s story of the same name, the film begins when an old man called Ghanashyam (Sujal Nepal) leaves his bag for a night at the writer’s home. Suspicious, the writer checks the contents of the bag only to find an old manuscript which contains 11 short stories. As Dharabasi starts reading, he is transported to Nepal of the 18th century. We are introduced to a young Ghanashyam who lives with his mother Kanchi (Garima Panta) and his ailing father (Desh Bhakta Khanal). After her husband passes away, Kanchi’s life becomes a nightmare.

Expected to sacrifice herself on the funeral pyre, Kanchi enters almost a daze like state and goes from being a strong-willed, loving mother to a helpless widow. As she prepares herself for the ceremony and Ghanashyam comes to terms with being orphaned, the anguish of both mother and son becomes palpable on screen. While expertly depicting the pain of the protagonists, director Yadav Kumar Bhattarai also explores the tender relationship between a mother and a son, which imbibes Jhola with a soul that has been missing in most Nepali movies pre and post the success of Loot .

Although the Sati system was abolished decades ago, Jhola is still relevant to today’s Nepal where, unfortunately, cases of sexual harassment, violence against women, trafficking remain all too common. The film may not be technically sound or perfectly enacted, but it succeeds in leaving an impact and inspiring viewers to take a stance.

Sunaina Rana

www.jholanepalifilm.com

Jhola was screened by Zonta, an international organisation working to improve the status of women in Nepal, at QFX Kumari on 2 and 5 December.

From our archives

More things change more they stay the same, the terrain shifts, make-or-break media, vroom vroom.

lmn-santosh

Review of jhola, recently viewed.

Everything about Nepal

Jhola – movie review.

UPDATE – Full movie Watch ‘Jhola’ here.

Nepali movie ‘Jhola’ is a movie made on a popular book by the same name by literary figure, Krishna Dharabasi. The plot set on the Nepali society of the time about a century ago. The movie directed by Yadav Kumar Bhattarai features Garima Pant , Desh Bhakta Khanal, Deepak Chhetri, Laxmi Giri , Pralhad Khatiwada etc. in main roles. The movie made on the banner of Media for Culture Pvt. Ltd. was made after an extensive research on the topic for about 7 years. Based on the novel, late Deepak Alok had written the script of the movie – keeping the core of the book intact. The movie can be categorized as a historical art movie.

The movie presents the height of violence against women in ancient Nepal – Sati tradition. In ‘Jhola’ an young woman (Garima Pant) is married to a man 40 years senior to her. When her husband dies, Garima is burned alive with the dead body of her husband. She escaped the fire and hides in a cave. You can watch the movie to know what happens to Garima and how her underage son helps her.

The story was written by Dharabasi based on a story he found written in leaf booklet in a bag (Jhola) left at his home by an elderly man who had come from Manipur, India. Hence the name ‘Jhola’. The event shown in the movie happened in a remote village of Bhojpur district. The shooting however was done in Dhading after reviewing various other locations in Sindhuli, Bhojpur, Ilam, Therathum, Panchthar, Sindhupalanchowk, Rolpa, Taplejung, Khaptad, Doti, Achham, Bajhang, and Bajura.

Strength and Weakness

Although there are place for improving, the scenes in the movie seem realistic and historical. The movie depicts the environment of East Nepal at the time 100 years ago. The movie uses long shot to present realistic views of the time. The movie features traditional tools like dhiki, janto, madani, ranko, diyalo and so on.

The young people could get a glimpse of our past and the old people can feel the time they have went through in their childhood. So, both young and the old can enjoy the movie. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches slavery (Kamara Kamari) tradition.

The cinematography is one of the best aspect of the movie. The director has also taken care to present the ancient environment. Most of the lighting during the shooting were also made by traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place light. The dress used by the characters were also sewn by hand.  Background music was also composed of leaf music and traditional tunes.

The director says that none of the artists have done make up. To make the characters natural, they had carried cow dung, dug in fields, carried water and the natural dirt was used to make the characters real.

Garima Pant and the child artist have done a very realistic acting. Other actors have also justified their character. In a report, Garima got sick after the shooting of the scene in which she runs away by swimming in the river. Garima told that throughout the shooting she didn’t take a bath or applied makeup.

The director Yadav Bhattarai is a well known name in directing Nepali music videos. After directing about 900 music video Yadav decided to make the movie on the story he read some 11 years ago. He read the book in BS 2059 and got the permission to make movie on it in BS 2063 from Dharabasi. The script writer Deepak Alok had died four years prior to the release of the movie.

‘Jhola’ is a historical movie to get a glimpse of the time of our fore fathers. The movie is a mirror of violence against women in ancient time. Apart from the entertainment, the movie offers insights into history, culture and tradition. ‘Jhola’ has it’s share of shortcomings but, it is a good historical movie.

If you like fight, singing and dance, and fun in movies – this might not be the one you would love to watch.

Recommendation – a must watch movie.

Review by – Robin Manandhar

You might also want to visit ‘Jhola’ movie profile in NetofNepal.

18 thoughts on “ Jhola – Movie Review ”

please add full movie review

यहाँ छ — https://xnepali.net/movies/nepali-movie-jhola/

• Pingback: Jhelee to take advantage of the popularity of Jhola and Jholey ? » Nepali Movies, Nepali Films

maile t harako 6ena sunako6u but youtube.ma searr garako ke amsa.matra bhata full movi bhatna sakina

Me too..looking forward for this movie's link please

Chakrapani Timalsina Can I watch in internet? If possible then can anyone send me the link please

where can I get this movie plz

Necessary to watch this movi for everyone …

• Pingback: Jhola celebrates 51 days in theater | Nepali Movies, Nepali Films

This movie will be upper rank in the box office. All actors are really realistic except priest.

Already watched but ….

already watched.

hora fursadma hernu parla ,, namaskar n subh din dharma ji

Yes everybody should watch Jhola….in my view its a heart touching movie n ever in nepali movie history..

ekdam ramro chha yo film…….

i like to watch this movey plzz but how to watch can u says some thing about me for this movei plaze

It is the knowledgeable movie so everybody should watch jhola .

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .