''Highway'' is a Nepali Anthological Film produced by Aadi Productions in association with Louverture Films. ''Highway'' was officially selected for and screened at the

62nd Berlin International Film Festival The 62nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 February 2012. British film director Mike Leigh was the President of the Jury. The first five films to be screened in the competition were announced on 19 December 2011. Am ...

. It was critically acclaimed but it did not perform well at the box office.

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the new culture of bandhs (general strikes) that frequently immobilize post-conflict

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

, ''Highway'' explores five different relationship stories that become intertwined during an ill-fated bus journey from

eastern Nepal The Eastern Development Region ( Nepali: पुर्वाञ्चल विकास क्षेत्र, ''Purwānchal Bikās Kshetra'') was one of Nepal's five development regions. It is also known as Kirata region. It was located at th ...

to the capital

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

. While the passengers - each of whom urgently needs to be somewhere else await a resolution to the combustible strike that is blocking the only passable road, the film explores the psychological and spiritual bandhs that many Nepalese contend with.

Cast

Saugat Malla Saugat Malla ( Nepali: सौगत मल्ल) is a Nepalese film actor and producer. He began acting professionally in 2008 and became known for his leading role as Haku Kale in '' Loot'' (2012). Other work includes ''Mukhauta'' (2014), Sa ...

as Ronit *

Reecha Sharma Reecha Sharma ( ne, ऋचा शर्मा; also spelled Richa), is a Nepalese film actress, model, and video jockey. She was one of the ten semi-finalists of Miss Nepal 2007 pageant, and has been popular for her acting in music videos and ...

as Kavita *

Dayahang Rai Dayahang Rai ( ne, दयाहाङ् राई) is a Nepali actor, director, and playwright. Dayahang is known for his uniqueness in Nepali cinema. He is one of the most popular and acclaimed actors of Nepal. He has starred in over 40 films ...

as Manoj * Asha Maya Magrati as Radhika * Shristi Ghimire as Pooja *

Karma Shakya Karma (born as Mahesh Man Shakya) is a Nepalese film and theater actor known for his roles in '' Sano Sansar'', '' Loot'' and '' Lukamari. ''He is recognised as a versatile actor in the Nepali film industry. Visa Girl, ''Suntali'' and First Lov ...

as Abiral * Rajan Khatiwada as Driver * Rabindra Mishra as Doctor * Nirmala Rai as Mahili Gurung * Eelum Dixit as Pratiek * Bhumika Shrestha

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of ''Highway'', titled ''Paplu (Laija Re)'', was released on

Kantipur FM Radio Kantipur () or Kantipur FM () is a Nepalese FM radio station, established in October 1998. It currently operates in the eastern, central, western, mid-western and far-western development regions. It is most popular in eastern region and i ...

on 26 October 2011. It was composed by Manoj Kumar KC of

1974 AD 1974 AD is a Nepali rock band, formed in Kathmandu, Nepal in the early 1990s. They experiment with various genres of music including Nepali folk, ragas, rock, funk, blues and jazz. 1974 AD are amongst the most successful recording artists ...

with lyrics penned by Bhupendra Khadka. Subhani Moktan recorded the song for the film.

References

2012 films Nepalese drama films Films shot in Kathmandu Films directed by Deepak Rauniyar Anthology films {{Films directed by Deepak Rauniyar