Kathmandu – Agni Dahan, a Nepali film set to release on Friday, Mangsir 7 (November 23), hosted an interaction session with journalists and media personnel on Monday to share details about the movie. Based on the novel Agni Dahan by writer and journalist Lokmani Poudel, the film aims to shed light on the harmful superstitions surrounding witchcraft.
Kovidsharan Upadhyaya, the film’s presenter and conceptualizer, explained that the movie was made to advocate for the eradication of witchcraft-related practices. “We made this film to send the message that witches do not exist. Women are still subjected to violence under the pretext of witchcraft. Through this film, we want to convey that women must not be mistreated or accused of witchcraft,” he said.
Actress Pramila Tulachan, who plays the role of Maili Damini, a woman accused of witchcraft, shared her preparation for the challenging role. “To understand my character, I visited a squatter settlement. The role was demanding as it depicted the struggles of poor, marginalized women and the injustices they face, such as accusations and social exclusion,” she said.
Similarly, actress Tulsi Kshetri recounted the hardships endured by women accused of witchcraft, particularly the tortures inflicted by shamans. “In the movie, there’s a scene where I’m branded with hot iron by a shaman. Even after the shoot, I had visible injuries on my body. I can only imagine how much real victims suffer in such situations,” she said.
Director Ghanshyam Lamichhane emphasized that Agni Dahan was not created for commercial purposes. “This film is a nationwide campaign to spread the message that no one is a witch,” he explained.
The movie features performances by Prakash Ghimire, Pramila Tulachan, Mao Tse Gurung, Anupama Bhandari, Tulsi Kshetri, Bishnu Bastola, and Tara Bahadur Gurung.
The film’s story, screenplay, and dialogue are penned by Lokmani Poudel, with conceptualization by Kovidsharan Upadhyaya. The technical team includes assistant director Parichhed Sen, cinematographer Dirgha Gurung, editor Dirgha Khadka, and production designer Shankar Pandey.
