By Usha Wagle Gautam
More than ten thousand Nepali expats enjoyed a cultural programme organised jointly by Ncell and Ooredoo recently at the West End Park in Saniya. Various Nepali artists including actors Jivan Luitel and Priyanka Karki, singers Nima Rumba and Milan Amatya, and comedian Jeetu Nepal performed during the free cultural show.
The show was different from other similar programmes organised by Nepali organisations in that it was held at a larger venue and featured no speeches. The focus, instead, was entirely on entertainment, as popular artistes performed back-to-back — there were no guests that needed to be honoured.
Organisers Ncell and Ooredoo distributed mobile sets and t-shirts as gifts to audience members who correctly answered questions at the event. The winners include Krishna Shah, Alok Rana, Anil Gautam, Isha Gatami and Yubraj Sharma.
The programme started with a comedy performance by Jeetu Nepal. He emerged from within the audience, acting as a migrant worker of five years and approaching the host Priyanka Karki as her fan. He cracked jokes about the long gown Priyanka was wearing. The long dress, Jeetu said, didn’t fit Priyanka as a leading Nepali actress and asked her to marry him, before disappearing from the stage.
Milan Amatya sang five of her hit songs. In between her performance, actor Jivan Luitel came up the stage and cracked a number of jokes.
Priyanka Karki danced along with Amatya’s songs and encouraged the audience to do the same. Amatya is one of the most popular contemporary female singers in Nepal, winning the prestigious Image Awards in 2012 in the Best Female Pop Singer category.
Also a VJ, choreographer, singer, model and former Miss Teen, Priyanka said that it was her third visit to Qatar. She had previously stayed nearly a month in Qatar to promote her feature film Kollywood. “It is a great moment for me and I feel delighted to perform before such an encouraging crowd,” she said.
After Amatya’s performance, Karki performed an electrifying dance on a remixed song. The audience members joined in the dance, matching her steps and style.
Pop star Nima Rumba came to the stage two times, singing five songs. Performing in Qatar for the first time, Rumba said he felt inspired by the reception he had gotten and promised to come again soon.
“Audiences in Qatar respect their artistes,” he said, “And my first show here has been historical.”
Jeevan Luitel and Priyanka Karki danced to the tunes. Women in the crowd cheered them on and joined in the fun.
Luitel said that this was his third time performing in Qatar, but the first time in front of such a “large crowd.”Luitel won the title of KTV Best Debutant Actor in 2010 for his film Nasib Aafno (Own Luck) and Best Actor in National Film Awarda in 2013 for Malati Ko Bhatti (Malati’s Pub). He also holds the record of winning five film awards in a single year along with the Best Youth National Award.
Comedian and TV actor Jeetu Nepal joked about the ongoing preparation of SAARC conference in Kathmandu. He made fun of the Maoist leaders in his country for inspiring the Nepali cricket team, comparing the stone-pelting nature of the leaders with the bat-ball players.
He also joked about the ailing and ageing Prime Minister of the country that sends most of its youth to foreign countries to work and study.
Ranjan Shrestha, member of the audience, said the show was well-managed. He said this was the first time in his ten years in Qatar that he had attended a programme that was organised so well.
Manoj Yadav, another audience member, said the programme would have been much better with some Bhojpuri dance numbers.
Sarmila Neupane, Sumitra Rai and Tanka Thapa, also members of the audience, gave five stars to the programme.
STEPS: Priyanka Karki and Jivan Luitel dance during the show.
