New Nepali Short Movie || 2016

The last film to have competed at Cannes was Raka Dutta’s ‘Chinese Whispers’. That was in 2007. Before that, it was Anirban Dutta’s ‘Tetris’ in 2006 and Tridib Poddar’s ‘Khonj’ in 2002. All three directors were from SRFTI.
Rai is the fourth SRFTI student to have bagged this distinction. He is close to the trio and is thrilled with the support his alma mater has given him. Awaiting his convocation on May 2, he is currently soaking in all the adulation of his friends and faculty members. Born in a small village in Mangwa near Kalimpong, Rai was brought up in Kathmandu in 1986. “That’s the year when the Gorkhaland agitation began,” he said. The son of a cardamom businessman, Rai moved to his grandparents’ residence. “It was during vacations that I came to my village. I often had problems co-relating my memories with my surroundings,” the 29-year-old said.
Describing his Kathmandu days, Rai said he was a “naughty and terrible” student. “If I was promoted, it was only as a favour. Finally, my grandfather sent me to a village school. I had to walk down four hours daily to go there. It was as bad as chicken poop.