Kagbeni

Kagbeni is a 2008 Nepali movie, loosely based on the W. W. Jacobs’ 1902 horror short story The Monkey’s Paw. Kagbeni is the directorial debut of Bhusan Dahal. The name of the movie is taken from a tourist place Kagbeni situated in the valley of the Kali Gandaki, which is a 2-hour side trek from Muktinath.

The tagline of the movie is when wishes comes true.

The film received mostly glowing reviews from critics. The Himalayan Times hailed it “a benchmark for Nepali films.” While Kunda Dixit of Nepali Times called it “superbly crafted, seductively acted, meticulously directed,” adding, “No longer will we have to be embarrassed about Nepali movies.” Bishnu Gautam of The Rising Nepal joining in the choir, wrote, “It is not easy to bring out an impressive film with new faces, but Bhusan did it brilliantly. All the three protagonists, Saugat Malla (Ramesh), Deeya Maskey (Tara) and Nima Rumba (Krishna) are new faces but nowhere in Kagbeni are they seen as novices… It provides you with the taste of western films including the love scenes which are free from vulgarities.” Sanjog Rai of The Kathmandu Post, however, was the sole voice in panning the film, suggesting that it “harbingers the end of the digital delusion,” elaborating on the trend of putting it “up for sainthood; it’s almost as if the masses believe it is a beacon of ingenuity, and that it will single-handedly save Nepali cinema.”