The Buzz Nepal

Lalibazar Is Finally Releasing on May 8. Here’s Everything That Happened Before It Could

• May 7 , 2026

Lalibazar was never going to have a quiet release. The film, directed by Yam Thapa and presented by Shatkon Arts, tells the story of women from the Badi community, one of Nepal's most marginalized indigenous groups, and the struggles they face in a society that has long reduced their identity to a single, painful stereotype. It is the kind of story that takes courage to tell. And before it even reached audiences, it had already become the center of one of the most significant debates about artistic freedom in Kollywood in recent years.