Nepali Film ‘Chumpa’ Explores Child Marriage and Girls’ Education
A 14-year-old girl dreams of completing her education and building an independent life. Instead, her family and community prepare her for marriage. Her fight to protect her future is at the heart of the Nepali short film ‘Chumpa: A Doll Under the Basket,’ which is set to have its world premiere at the 31st Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.
Written and directed by Rajesh Prasad Khatri, the film has been officially selected for the festival’s Wide Angle section under the Asian Short Competition.
Set in a remote rural community in Nepal, ‘Chumpa’ explores child marriage and its impact on the education, freedom and future of young girls.
At the centre of the story is Muna, a talented 14-year-old student studying in Grade 8. She wants to complete her education and live an independent life, but deeply rooted traditional beliefs within her family and community threaten to take that future away from her.
Forced to prepare for marriage, Muna makes a desperate attempt to save her education on the day of the wedding. She reaches her teacher’s house and asks for help, only to be taken away by villagers and brought back into the marriage process.
Through Muna’s experience, the film examines not only child marriage but also the wider social pressures faced by women in rural Nepal, barriers to education and gender discrimination carried out in the name of tradition.
A Doll as a Symbol of Silenced Voices
The film uses a traditional doll named ‘Chumpa’ as a central symbol, representing lost and silenced voices as well as female resistance.
According to the production team, the film was created with natural light, real locations and minimal equipment to retain a raw and realistic visual quality.
Kabita Budha plays Muna, while Binita Thapa Magar and Mira Khadka appear as teachers. Dipesh Malla plays the groom.
The approximately 20-minute film was shot in the Khas language in a rural area of north-western Nepal.
Rajesh Prasad Khatri’s Journey in Cinema
Writer-director Rajesh Prasad Khatri is a primary school teacher who entered filmmaking through self-learning.
His first short film, ‘A Curious Girl,’ won the Best Film award in the Generation Kplus category at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2018.
His second film, ‘A Scarecrow,’ received several international honours and also premiered at the Busan International Film Festival.
Produced by Picture Frame and Flicker Arts Entertainment
‘Chumpa: A Doll Under the Basket’ is a collaboration between Picture Frame and Flicker Arts Entertainment.
The film is produced by Kedar Bhusal, with Dinesh Raut serving as creative producer. Ramlal Khadka is the executive producer and production designer.
The cinematography is by Sharad Mahato, while editing is handled by Pasang Dawa Sherpa and Kiran Shrestha. Bipin Sthapit is responsible for location sound and sound design, Dipesh Chaudhary for colour grading, and Sarun Manandhar and Sabin Maharjan for music.
Picture Frame and Flicker Arts Entertainment are independent Nepali film production companies focused on short films, feature narratives and documentaries that tell distinct stories from Nepal.
The two companies previously produced ‘Rihana,’ which had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in 2025.
With child marriage, women’s rights, education and rural realities at the centre of its story, ‘Chumpa: A Doll Under the Basket’ is bringing the voice of a young Nepali girl and the wider social realities surrounding her to an international audience in Busan.
