Veteran actor, playwright and theatre organiser Mamunur Rashid has added a new chapter to his six-decade career by directing a Nepali-language play in Kathmandu.
Rashid directed Ayo Gorkhali at Sarwanam Theatre in Kathmandu on Monday, 28 September. The production marks his debut as a director in Nepali theatre. Its second show will take place at the same venue on Tuesday.
Written by Mak Chiu Yu, the play features artistes from Nepal, Ireland and Hong Kong. Rashid has known the playwright for nearly four decades.
The play explores the lives and struggles of Gurkha soldiers, focusing on how they faced discrimination and were denied their rightful rights despite their courage and loyalty during the First and Second World Wars.
Mak Chiu Yu had been planning to write the play for around 15 years and discussed the project with Rashid several times.
He completed the script this year before inviting Rashid to direct it.
Rashid does not speak Nepali fluently, making the production both challenging and rewarding for him.
He said the experience has allowed him to learn many new things and that the first show received an enthusiastic response from the audience.
