Women are often at the centre of Nepali films. Why are men still telling most of their stories?

Filmmaker Prasuna Dongol recently pointed out a significant disconnect in Nepal's film industry: while many projects focus on women's stories, the decision-making bodies remain overwhelmingly male. Dongol observed that at a film pitch event, the stage was filled with twelve men and no women mentors, despite the projects centering on female experiences.

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If we are still standing on stages in 2026 and seeing all-male panels, all-male organising teams, and predominantly male gatekeepers deciding which women’s stories get told, then perhaps we’re not as far along as we’d like to believe.

Dongol expressed concern that this male-dominated gatekeeping might lead to a lack of depth, research, and empathy in how women's stories are presented. She questioned the progress of the industry when all-male panels and predominantly male gatekeepers continue to decide which women's stories get told.

This issue is not new but is described as structural, affecting various aspects of filmmaking from writing rooms to funding and festival selections. The article notes that the gap between who tells the story and whose story is told has become increasingly visible.

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Stories should be told across experiences.

Examples like the successful film "Lali Bazaar," which addresses the exploitation of the Badi community, and "Purna Bahadur Ko Sarangi," about a Gandharva father, highlight this problem. Despite critical acclaim and box office success, neither film's core creative team included members from the Badi or Gandharva communities, respectively. While the creators' intentions may be genuine, the article suggests that caring about a subject does not equate to having the structural insight to represent it fully, especially when key creative decisions are made by those outside the community.

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But caring about a subject and having the structural insight to represent it fully are not the same thing.