Nepali Filmmakers Stage Silent Protest at Maitighar Over Court Ban on "Laalibazar"

Kathmandu - Dozens of Nepali filmmakers, directors, and artists gathered at Maitighar Mandala on Wednesday in a peaceful protest against what they described as an overreach of judicial authority: the Patan High Court's decision to ban the screening of Laalibazar just three days before its scheduled release on Baisakh 18 — based on a petition filed by a single individual, without hearing the broader community's perspective.

Participants wore black armbands and observed 15 minutes of silence before speakers took the floor. The protest was jointly organized by the Nepal Film Producers' Association, Nepal Film Association, and Nepal Film Directors' Society, all three bodies expressing unified solidarity on the issue.

Speakers including Nepal Film Producers' Association President Uday Subba, General Secretary Khagendra Lamichhane, Nepal Film Association President Narendra Maharjan, Film Directors' Society President Janakdeep Parajuli, and directors Ashok Sharma, Manoj Pandit, Ganesh Dev Pande, Nishchal Basnet, Suyog Gurung, and Raunak Bikram Kandel all emphasized that the court's decision was one-sided and that any concerns about a film's content should be evaluated by properly understanding the film first.

The filmmakers argued that allowing a single complaint to halt a film's release without a full review sets a dangerous precedent for artistic and expressive freedom in Nepal — one that could chill creative work in the industry for years to come.