By Nate Feldman
Ghampani is a 2017 Nepali film about two villagers from different castes and ethnic backgrounds falling in love and the turmoil that this creates between their families. Phurba, a local school teacher from a Tamang family, is in love with Tara, a daughter of a local Brahmin with significant standing in the village, who has been away studying in the capitol city of Kathmandu. When she returns to the village, Phurba is there to walk her from the bus station to her home, showing that they have been in love for a while. Their families have been close since they were young children, and their fathers still regularly socialize over chess matches. However, the idea that these two would fall in love has never really crossed the minds of either family, so they have kept their romance a secret.
Things are complicated by the arrival of Kamal, a new and extremely mischievous police inspector, in town, who has interest in Tara and persuades her father to arrange a marriage between them. Phurba and Tara want to avoid this at all costs, but they do so at the risk of alienating their families from them. Kamal, aware of Phurba's secret relationship with Tara, taunts him about his plans to marry Tara. Things boil over when at a village celebration for the local school, Phurba assaults the police inspector after seeing him act inappropriately around Tara. Phurba, now wanted by the police, and Tara make a choice to run away from the village together and get married. But, can their love overcome the societal forces around them?
This film beautifully shows the life of villagers in rural Nepal and gives the viewer a deep appreciation for the different cultures and traditions among people there. It also shows the challenges of people in a mutli-ethnic society co-existing despite different values. Anyone who is interested in learning about Nepali culture and seeing a charming love story that has both beautiful love scenes as well as a lot of humor will definitely enjoy this film.
