Basanti
VCD Cover
Directed by	Neer Shah
Produced by	Neer Shah
Starring	Rajesh Hamal Karishma Manandhar Gauri Malla Divya Dutta
Release date	2000 (2000) (Nepal)
Country	Nepal
Language	Nepali

Basanti (Nepali: बसन्ती, translation: Lady like a Spring) is a 2000 Nepali historical romantic film directed by Neer Shah. The cast includes Karishma Manandhar, Rajesh Hamal, Gauri Malla and Ashok Sharma. This movie is based on a novel of the same name written by one of the prominent Nepalese novelists Diamond Shumsher Rana, who fictionalized a love story on a historical plot. The film met with huge positive response from critics and audience with praise directed towards performance of the cast and direction of Shah. The film was a big commercial success at the box office. The film is considered as one of the best film ever made in Nepali cinema history and the best movie in the historical movie genre.^[1][2]

Plot

The film explains the love story of Basanti (Karishma Manandhar), a palace maid, and Gagan Singh Bhandari (Rajesh Hamal), a Nepalese General and Kaji. The film also shows cold blooded murder of Mathabar Singh Thapa, the first titled Prime Minister of Nepal. The film ends with the tragic incident of Kot massacre upon which Jang Bahadur Kunwar (Neeraj Thapa) rises as Prime Minister of Nepal.

Cast

• Karishma Manandhar as Basanti/ Meethu, Gagan Singh's love interest
• Rajesh Hamal as Kaji Gagan Singh Bhandari
• Gauri Malla as Queen Rajya Lakshmi Devi
• Neeraj Thapa as Kaji Jung Bahadur Kunwar Rana
• B.S. Rana as King Rajendra Bikram Shah
• Ashok Sharma as Silange
• Kiran K.C. as Ghyabrin
• Rajaram Paudel as Khadananda Baje
• Pawan Mainali as Dambar Bahadur Bista
• Divya Dutta as Malati
• Subhadra Adhikari as Mishri Aama^[3]

Song

The Song 'Fagu Ho Fagu Ho' is one of the most popular Holi Song in Nepal. The song has playback singer Gyanu Rana, Devika Pradhan, Rajesh Payal Rai. The movie also features other songs and playback singer for the movie are Lochan Bhattarai, Uday Khanal, Sworupraj Acharya, Rupkumar Rathod.