A melancholy reminder: 'Soongava Dance of the Orchids'
PRAMILA RAI
KATHMANDU, Dec 10: ‘Soongava--Dance of the Orchids’ is not an extraordinary story, nor is it an extraordinary film. What it does is introduce you to the realities facing homosexuals in our society. Soongava does not reveal anything, suggests no solutions and presents no larger than life scenario. The love story of Deeya and Kiran, played by Diya Maskey and Nisha Adhikari, have all the required embellishments of lovers: insecurity, fights, love, sexual tension, camaraderie and support for each other.
The film is built around small good moments instead of an unbroken story flow of regular films. The scenes featuring the protagonists and the confrontation between both sets of siblings are noteworthy. When Deeya tells Kiran that she was not sure of their relationship, it echoes the sentiment of many lovers, especially, of those whose relationships are outside the comfort zone of society. Where Deeya seems confused, Kiran is a character who is clear about what she wants out of her life.
Diya Maskey stays true to her talent in the film and does justice to the role. Nisha Adhikari’s performance is good, too, but there are places where her dialogue delivery seems a little weak and wanting more. The director, Subarna Thapa, should be commended for keeping the story so simple and easy to comprehend and for the fact that there is nothing titillating in any of the intimate scenes. What was a little irking and cliché is that Kiran should be a tomboyish character. Of course, with her cropped hair and very unglamorous look, Nisha looks different but many of us would have preferred a Kiran who does not look like a stereotypical lesbian.
The society is harsh and unrelenting, and as the couple struggle to live a life of dignity, it flings mud on their faces. There is no preaching in Soongava: it simply portrays the plight of the sexual minority in our society.
Saugat Malla, Laxmi Giri and Basundhara Bhusal have a big hand in tilting the balance in favor of the film. They may not have a lot of screen time, but they leave an impact. As usual, Saugat’s is a fine performance and the veteran actors, Laxmi Giri and Basundhara Bhusal know their craft. However, the dialogues in English would have been just fine in Nepali.
‘Soongava--Dance of the Orchid’ will premiere on Tuesday at 3pm in City Hall, Bhrikutimandap.
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A Melancholy Reminder: 'Soongava Dance Of The Orchids'
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