Basanta – A Spring of New Beginnings: Movie Review

Entertainment
The Buzz Nepal
June 25 , 2025

Cast: Priyanka Karki, Sahana Vajracharya
Genre: Drama
Language: Nepali
Platform: YouTube
Duration: 46 minutes

“Basanta” – named after the season of spring – serves as both a metaphor and a setting for the emotional journey of two women who are at different, yet overlapping, crossroads in life. The short film is a meditative portrayal of grief, self-reflection, and eventual renewal.

Characters

1. Priyanka Karki as Meera

Meera is introspective, emotionally layered, and reserved. Her calm exterior hides a sense of internal grief and personal disappointment. Through subtle gestures, long pauses, and emotionally grounded dialogue, she embodies someone who has put on a brave face for too long.

Performance: Priyanka Karki gives a nuanced performance, using silence and expression to convey a complex emotional state. She captures the depth of a woman on the brink of transformation without resorting to melodrama.

2. Sahana Vajracharya as Sana

Sana is more outwardly optimistic, spontaneous, and emotionally open. She represents warmth and the spark of change. As a younger or more expressive counterpart to Meera, Sana brings lightness and hope into the otherwise heavy emotional environment. Her conversations reflect a gentle push for Meera to embrace life again.

Performance: Sahana Vajracharya surprises with her natural screen presence. Her role may seem supporting, but it’s crucial, she anchors the emotional tone of the film with care and compassion.

Themes and Symbolism

Spring as a Metaphor: The film beautifully ties its title to its core message – just as spring follows winter, emotional renewal follows hardship.
Silence and Space: Dialogue is minimal, but deliberate. The use of ambient sound and silence gives the film a poetic rhythm.
Grief, Healing and Sisterhood: Meera and Sana’s bond – whether as sisters, close friends, or soul companions; serves as the emotional backbone of the story.
Guilt, Love and fatherhood: Meera has a loving relationship with her father. She portrays the character of a obedient daughter. The movie shows the father-daughter relationship in various dynamics of love and guilt.

Cinematography and Direction

Visuals: Soft lighting, warm color tones, and natural outdoor shots add an aesthetic depth. Nature is almost treated as a third character – present, nurturing, and reflective of the characters’ emotional states.
Direction: The pace is slow and meditative, which suits the subject matter. However, viewers used to faster storytelling may find the narrative progression subtle and understated.
Soundtrack: Minimalist, with a calming score that complements the introspective tone.

Basanta is a visually poetic and emotionally grounded short film that speaks to the soul. Through the quiet power of its characters – Meera’s calm resilience and Sana’s compassionate optimism – it tells a story of renewal, making it a moving watch for anyone who has ever had to start over.