Jaari (film)

Jaari (Nepali: जारी) is a 2023 Nepali social drama film written and directed by Upendra Subba. The film is produced by Ram Babu Gurung under the banner of Baasuri Films. Released on April 14, 2023, the film stars Dayahang Rai, Miruna Magar, Prem Subba, Bijay Baral, Roydeep Shrestha, and Rekha Limbu. The film is based on Limbu community and their Jaari tradition, which was historically one of the most significant part of their culture; the Jaari tradition was also relevant in many other communities of Nepal.^[1][3][4]

Jaari
Theatrical release poster
Nepali	जारी
Directed by	Upendra Subba
Written by	Upendra Subba
Story by	Suresh Niyong Limbu
Produced by	Ram Babu Gurung
Starring	Dayahang Rai Miruna Magar Bijay Baral
Cinematography	Shailendra D Karki[1]
Edited by	Nimesh Shrestha
Music by	Manoj Thapa Magar
Distributed by	Basuri Films
Release date	April 14, 2023 (2023-04-14) (Nepal)
Running time	121 minutes
Country	Nepal
Budget	est.रू2 crore (US$150,000)
Box office	रू17.18 crore (US$1.3 million)[2]

The film opened with critical acclaim, with praise directed towards debutant director Subba's work. It was a record breaking blockbuster at the box office and enjoyed more than 100 days run in the theatres all over Nepal. At the end of its run, it became third highest-grossing films in Nepal of all time with the gross of रु17.18 crore.^[2]

Synopsis

Set in 1995, the story follows Namsang (Dayahang Rai) and his wife Hangma (Miruna Magar), who are constantly arguing and fighting. Eventually, Hangma leaves Namsang and returns to her parents' house. She elopes with another man, Roydeep Shrestha, but eventually returns to Namsang when her family is unable to pay him compensation (jaari) for her elopement. Hangma decides to pay him herself, this time working as his maid, as she cannot afford any other form of compensation. The plot revolves around Hangma's struggles in a male-dominated society.

Cast

• Dayahang Rai as Namsang
• Miruna Magar as Hangma
• Bijay Baral as Mangal Singh
• Prem Subba
• Roydeep Shrestha
• Rekha Limbu
• Anil Subba
• Puskar Gurung

Soundtrack

First song, Chari Basyo was released on March 25, 2023.^[5] Second song, Reet was released on April 17, 2023.^[6]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Chari Basyo"	Kali Prasad Baskota	Kali Prasad Baskota	3:07
2.	"Reet"	Hark Saud	Manoj Thapa Magar, Sunita Thegim	6:12
Total length:				9:19

Reception

Box office

Jaari became a blockbuster at the box office and made around 13 crore within the first two weeks of release.^[7] 15 crore within the first three weeks,^[8] and according to the Film Development Board, the film made over 16.75 crore in the first 51 days.^[9] The film was able to cross 100 days in theaters and made 17.18 crore in total, and became second highest grosser of the year after Chhakka Panja 4, and one of the highest-grossing Nepali films of all time.^[2]

Critical reception

Jaari met with much critical acclaim, with praise directed towards Subba's work, including his writing, dialogues, authenticity, and direction.^[3][10] However, some critics believed the story could have been developed further,^[1] and some felt that the story was somewhat biased in favor of men.^[11]

Urza Acharya from The Kathmandu Post wrote: "Jaari could’ve been a lot of things. It could’ve and should’ve given Hangma more depth and autonomy. It should’ve challenged that status quo not only through an indigenous perspective but also via gender and non-patriarchal lens. But the story was surprisingly (and disappointingly) run-of-the-mill. That is Jaari’s one true weakness."^[1]

Renuka Dhakal from The Rising Nepal praised the overall storyline of the film and wrote: "Despite being his debut feature film, Upendra Subba has demonstrated a potential to shape the industry's future through this movie. It is often said that films are a mirror of society, and Jaari looks true to this saying.  Subba, through this movie, has presented an honest and simplistic portrayal of the Limbu culture."^[3]

Bibek Timsina from The Annapurna Express criticized the characteristics of male characters from the films Subba have written, where he mentioned the character of Kaji from Kabaddi franchise and Namsang from this film "creates a feeling of déjà vu in some scenes", since both of them have very similar characteristics. But at the same time, he praised Subba for making the audience fall in love with such characters, he also praised Subba's debut as a director, he wrote: "Upendra Subba has managed to create a heartfelt movie with minimal missteps."^[10]