Yesterday, on my wife Madhavi's birthday, we decided to watch a movie with the family at R City Mall in Ghatkopar. I don't find majority of the movies worth watching in a year. Out of 350+ movies made in India and Nepal combined, hardly one or two are worth spending money in the theatre. This time, after reading comments and watching trailers on Facebook, I thought "Unko Sweater" might be different. And boy, it was!
Today when VFX, auto-tune, memes, and excessive messages are used in movies, it's not worth the time, forget about money. But "Unko Sweater" is something else. It's a beautiful story set in rural Nepal, showing the link between Nepal and Nepali-speaking states like Darjeeling and Sikkim. It touches on the role of caste in Indian and Nepali society, but in a subtle way. And the love story – pure love without any nudity or high sexual content. Just innocent, heartfelt emotions.
From the beginning to the end, the movie has a strong grip on the audience. The theatre was 70% full even on a weekday. It shows rural Nepal so beautifully – the natural beauty, misty hills, village life, excellent cinematography, and completely natural acting.
![ऊनको स्वीटर [The Woolen Sweater] Official Movie Teaser | In Cinemas Baisakh 26 / May 09](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hWZQ0kaTbXU/maxresdefault.jpg)
![ऊनको स्वीटर [The Woolen Sweater] Official Nepali Movie ...](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8BLDXn2PQK0/sddefault.jpg)
Listening to the song "Kafle" from Jhuma Limbu ji was such a rare treat – pure emotion, natural expression, no auto-tune at all. It touches the heart deeply. The songs by Sujan Chapagain stand apart, far better than majority of the auto-tune, short-lived artists and singers these days.
Acting from Miruna Magar as Phool was fantastic – lively, expressive, full of depth.
Before watching, I wasn't aware of many actresses except Bhasme Don aka Bipin Karki (real name). His role as Dharanidhar Kafle made me cry at the climax. The story of a son searching for the unknown address to deliver his father's unfinished love gift – the sweater – is so touching.
Every piece of the movie is worth enjoying. It doesn't feel boring for even a minute. Even with the second generation changing, the influence of caste is shown fabulously, without preaching.
The production house Artmandu deserves a lot of applause. I researched about them and found their other creations like Sunakhari (a beautiful tale of simple love and selfless bonding) and Teenpatey must be equally good. They focus on authentic Nepali stories with music and emotion.
If you're tired of commercial masala films, go watch "Unko Sweater". It's a rare movie that restores faith in good cinema. Highly recommended for family watching too! Even if you do not understand Nepali, the movie has English subtitles, trust me, you won't need even the subtitles.
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