Neeta Dhungana’s ‘Riyal Ringgit’ to Release on Shrawan 16

Kathmandu: The upcoming Nepali film Riyal Ringgit, centered on the dreams, struggles, and heartbreak of Nepali youth seeking foreign employment, is all set to release on Shrawan 16. The release date was announced alongside a heartfelt poster by Rebel Films this Friday.

Directed by Bibhor Pokharel, the film is produced by Gagan Lal Pradhan, both of whom bring years of experience in the music and film industry. The screenplay is penned by Pradip Bhardwaj.

The film’s title, Riyal Ringgit, is inspired by the currencies of countries where Nepalis commonly migrate for labor—Qatar and Saudi Arabia (riyal) and Malaysia (ringgit). The emotional poster carries the tagline: “When the plane took off from Tribhuvan Airport, dreams and life took off with it.” This line, written by poet Nathan Ryan, captures the film’s essence of shattered dreams, separation, exploitation, and tragic truths wrapped inside a dream.

The top section of the poster shows a female character’s face filled with pain, lost hope, and emptiness, while the center highlights diverse characters from different social backgrounds, symbolizing the working-class youth burdened by poverty and big dreams. In the background, skyscrapers hint at Middle Eastern cities like Qatar, UAE, or Malaysia—key destinations for Nepali labor migrants.

The cast includes Pramod Chaulagain, Neeta Dhungana, Chhulthim Dolma Gurung, Rabindra Khadka, Dhruba Koirala, Prem Subba, Ramchandra Adhikari, Rear Rai, Roshan Shrestha, Ishwori Baral, and Bimala Giri.

The film features action direction by Roshan Shrestha, cinematography by Hari Ghale, editing by Bipin Mall, a background score by Kiran Tuladhar, and choreography by Rajiv Samar.

The songs of Riyal Ringgit are composed by Ramchandra Kafle, Kiran Tuladhar, and Chandan Dhoj KC, with vocals from Sugam Pokharel, Ketan Kshetri, Ramchandra Kafle, and Junu Rijal Kafle. The lyrics are written by Amar Neupane, Pradip Bhardwaj, and Chandan Dhoj KC.

Filming took place across Rajasthan (India) and Nepal’s Chitwan, Kathmandu, and Letang. The movie will be distributed by Kafia Films.