Award-winning Nepali Film Shakti has expanded its international reach after becoming available to stream free on Plex and Fawesome worldwide. Viewers in the United States and Canada can also watch the film free on Tubi. The film features Laxmi Bardewa, Polina Oli, Menuka Pradhan, Shristi Shrestha, Prakash Ghimire, Sarita Giri, Akash Nepali and Maotse Gurung.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Nani Sahra Walker and distributed by Buffalo 8, the film began its free streaming rollout on June 26, 2026. It remains available to rent or purchase through Prime Video in supported markets.
The wider digital release follows a successful international festival journey for the Nepal–US production, which combines an intimate mother-daughter story with questions about caste discrimination, gender-based violence, corruption and institutional justice.
A Mother’s Search for Answers
Set in a rapidly changing Nepal, Shakti follows a single mother whose young daughter becomes mysteriously ill.
As the mother searches for answers, she enters a world where medicine, spiritual belief, family secrets and unresolved trauma intersect. Her personal struggle gradually becomes a confrontation with the systems that are supposed to protect women and children.
The official trailer presents Shakti as a drama with supernatural elements. However, its mystery is tied to a wider social story rather than conventional horror.
The film was partly inspired by the history of Nepal’s legal time limit for reporting sexual violence. At one point, survivors had only 35 days to register such cases, a restriction that became the subject of sustained criticism and reform campaigns.
Major Recognition at Heartland
Shakti received two honours at the 2025 Heartland International Film Festival.
It won the Best Narrative Premiere Award as well as the Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award, recognizing both its filmmaking and engagement with urgent social issues.
The film has also screened at international events including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the International Film Festival of India in Goa.
Its journey reflects the growing visibility of Nepali and Nepal-set stories on the international festival circuit, particularly films that combine culturally specific narratives with themes that connect across societies.
New Recognition for Nani Sahra Walker
Walker was also named Best New Filmmaker at the 2026 NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Awards. The recognition included the Anthony Rhulen Grant.
She previously served as an executive producer of The Last Repair Shop, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film.
It is therefore more accurate to describe Walker as an executive producer of an Oscar-winning film rather than suggesting that she personally received the Oscar.
A Wider Audience for a Nepali Story
According to Walker, one of the most rewarding aspects of the film’s journey has been seeing audiences from different backgrounds connect with its questions about family, power, healing and justice.
Although Shakti is rooted in Nepal, its emotional foundation is universal. The story asks what happens when trauma is hidden, when institutions fail vulnerable people and when a mother is forced to search for justice on her own.
Making the film free on advertising-supported platforms substantially increases its potential audience. It also gives members of the Nepali diaspora and international viewers easier access to a socially conscious film created around Nepal’s people, culture and political realities.
Strong Cast and International Creative Team
Shakti features Laxmi Bardewa in the central role of Durga, with Polina Oli playing her daughter, Leela. Menuka Pradhan appears as Maya, Shristi Shrestha as Miss Joshi, Prakash Ghimire as Hira Hartol, Sarita Giri as the shaman, and Akash Nepali as Ravi Hartol.
The supporting cast includes Maotse Gurung, Riva Thapa, Govinda Sunar, Jiwan Bhattarai, Rashmi Bhatta, Binita Thapa Magar, Ram Bhajan Kamat, Prabhakar Neupane, Roshni Syangbo, Ian Scott Clement and Sunita Rijal, among others.
The film was written and directed by Nani Sahra Walker, who also served as one of its producers and editors. Candi Guterres, Ida Sonni and Jered Everson are also credited as producers.
Japanese cinematographer Keiko Nakahara handled the film’s cinematography. The editing team includes Ágústa Einarsdóttir, Julie Vizza and Walker, while William Ryan Fritch composed the original score. Lunibha Tuladhar served as casting director, Khadga Bahadur Tamang as art director, and Nuzhat Kazi handled costume design.
Main Cast
Laxmi Bardewa — Durga
Polina Oli — Leela
Menuka Pradhan — Maya
Shristi Shrestha — Miss Joshi
Prakash Ghimire — Hira Hartol
Sarita Giri — Shaman
Akash Nepali — Ravi Hartol
Maotse Gurung — Mali Dai
Riva Thapa — Karuna Shakya
Jiwan Bhattarai — Dr. Kailash Naren
Key Crew
Writer and Director — Nani Sahra Walker
Producers — Nani Sahra Walker, Candi Guterres, Ida Sonni and Jered Everson
Cinematography — Keiko Nakahara
Original Music — William Ryan Fritch
Editors — Ágústa Einarsdóttir, Julie Vizza and Nani Sahra Walker
Casting Director — Lunibha Tuladhar
Art Director — Khadga Bahadur Tamang
Costume Designer — Nuzhat Kazi
Distributor — Buffalo 8
Where to Watch ‘Shakti’?
Shakti can be streamed free on Plex and Fawesome worldwide.
Tubi carries the film free in the United States and Canada. It is also available to rent or purchase on Prime Video in supported territories.
Availability may vary by country and may change according to individual platform agreements.
