Rajagunj: Pooja Sir Takes Nepali Cinema to New Heights with Global Airline Release

Nepali cinema just crossed a new Height literally. ‘Rajagunj: Pooja, Sir’ has begun streaming on five of the world’s leading airlines: Qatar Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Air Lines, taking a homegrown story to travelers cruising 30,000 feet above the ground. For millions of passengers, a Nepali crime drama is now part of the in-flight entertainment lineup something that felt almost impossible a few years ago.

Producer Niraj Shrestha calls the moment a turning point. “This isn’t just our film taking flight. This is the beginning of Nepal’s stories reaching global viewers in the sky,” he said, reflecting the pride felt across the team.

The film Directed by Deepak Rauniyar, ‘Rajagunj: Pooja, Sir’ has been quietly and steadily building an international wave. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, earning strong praise, and went on to screen at Busan, Sydney, Mumbai, and more than a dozen global festivals. Everywhere it played, the response grew louder.

Few weeks ago, the film made history with a 62-screen wide release in France, the largest theatrical rollout ever for a Nepali production. Over 17,000 French viewers turned up an extraordinary number for Nepali cinema abroad. The film also recently aired on the UK’s major broadcaster Channel 4, introducing British audiences to Nepal’s raw political drama.

Adding to the momentum, lead actress Asha Magrati won the Best Actress Award at the FilmOut San Diego LGBTQ+ Film Festival in 2025 for her role in the film ‘Rajagunj: Pooja, Sir’, cementing her as one of the most internationally recognized Nepali performers today.

The film shot in Janakpur, dives into a tense border town shaken by protests from the Madhesi community. In the heat of the unrest, two young boys vanish. Detective Inspector Pooja Thapa, played by Asha Magrati, is sent from Kathmandu to uncover the truth.

Pooja is sharp, proud, and unshakably calm but she’s also a queer officer who prefers to be addressed as “Sir,” something that immediately puts her at odds with the town’s rigid social norms. Locals watch her with suspicion; others with confusion. But she pushes forward, teaming up with Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman, to break through layers of discrimination, misogyny, and political tension. Together, they chase the truth at a personal cost neither sees coming.

The film takes inspiration from real events during Nepal’s 2015 border protests, and blends it with Rauniyar and Magrati’s own lived experiences. The Sydney Film Festival describes it as an “unflinching procedural built with gripping detail,” while IMDb highlights its emotional power and social urgency.

The cast brings together some of Nepal’s finest performers: Dayahang Rai, Asha Magrati, Bijay Baral, Nikita Chandak (Miss Nepal), Reecha Sharma, Aarti Mandal, Gaumaya Gurung, Pashupati Rai, Pushpa Yadav, Ghanshyam Mishra, Niraj Shrestha, Parmeshowar Kumar Jha

The film is produced by Aadi Films, in association with Baasuri Films and Tannhauser Gate, with support from prestigious funds including the Torino Film Lab, SFFILM Rainin Grant, Hubert Bals Fund, Sørfond, and the Berlinale World Cinema Fund. Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap serves as Executive Producer.

After navigating censorship hurdles in Nepal, ‘Rajagunj: Pooja, Sir’ is finally preparing for a much anticipated comeback. According to producer Purna Singh Baraily, the film is gearing up for a global digital release through Norway’s White Rabbit and the US-based CinemA futuristic platforms.

As the film continues its international ascent, one thing is clear ‘Rajagunj: Pooja Sir’ is not just representing Nepali cinema, it’s redefining where it can go, how far it can travel, and who gets to see it.

WATCH HERE: Official Trailer of Rajagunj: Pooja, Sir