Manoj Pandit is a film director. Pandit, who got good reviews from films like 'Greater Nepal', 'Dasdhunga', 'Badhashala', then directed 'Chaya', 'Khaag' and 'Ek'. He has published a book on cinema, 'Cinema Manthan', and is preparing for a new film. An edited part of the conversation with him, who has been working as a script doctor in the Nepali film industry, for the regular column of E-Kantipur, 'Panch Pasharan':

What is the last movie you watched?
I prefer political cinema. Recently watched 'Parasite'. After watching Parasite's director Bong Joon Ho's latest film 'Mickey 17', I looked to analyze the two. This film is about human ambition and class division in the world of capitalism . This is a very exciting film . 

What are your favorite Nepali movies?
I have watched most Nepali movies. Two-three films have really influenced me. While working as a critic, there was an opportunity to watch a movie. That movie is 'Shriman'. The central emotion and conflict of the film, made with the presence of ordinary actors, was so compelling that I appreciated it when I reviewed the film .

The film 'Chapli Height' directed by Dipendra K Khanal has given me the idea of ​​danger in the field of Nepali cinema. I found the 'loot' to be very awkward in terms of craft . In terms of story telling, Tulsi Ghimire's Dakshina is good. Another is the film 'Balidan'. If we go a little further than this, because the literature is powerful, I like 'Straw Fire'. 

What are your favorite foreign films?
I really like 'Ijazat' among Indian cinema . Another favorite movie is both series of 'Godfather'. There is a very beautiful movie called 'Eight and a Half'. Then Satyajit Ray's 'Pather Panchali'. There are some powerful films from South America. Movies made in Iran like 'The Suppression'.

In Indian cinema, the circumstances of the children's lives are created by approaching life in realism. Another layer of poverty is presented in a very beautiful and subtle manner in 'Pather Panchali'.

Satyajit Ray seems to be a very good filmmaker. In Iranian storytelling, the characters are children . What is important is what is seen in the normality of life in the story. "The Separation" is a story of relationships. Shows how tender relationships are. It has shown how much hardness there is in softness .

The good movies I've seen have abnormality within normality, hardness within softness .

What do you think are the positive and improving aspects of Nepali films?
Whatever is happening, we don't think this is the best . We are putting ourselves in 'doubt'. We are admitting that we have weaknesses. Our positive side is the striving collective seeking something with this confession. But there is a problem with our basic thinking system . 

Why is our cinema becoming weak? That is a lack of thought . The element to solve this is the book . To make a good movie, you must read a good book. For the development of our cinema, there is a need for a lot of reading and analysis of books on the part of the filmmakers. I am of the opinion that a film should be made based on studies and a powerful approach.    

We are the generation that grew up reading the magazine called 'Wisdom'. We are a generation that waits and reads the youth platform. International platform, the generation that grew up reading Reader's Rider . At that time there is a book by Modnath Prasrit . In that book, the struggle of his life was very beautiful. Three books have influenced my life in dimensions.

The book 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' has influenced me the most . It talks about the character of man by studying people and civilization. It is Chanakya's economics that gave impetus to politics. The book called 'Sophies World' increased his inclination towards philosophy. This book deals with fixation and  He was taken to the flight of thought . World philosophy has influenced my inclination. Nietzsche's book "Beyond Good and Evil" had an impact.

is very helpful in rethinking what we consider to be the basis of morality . Dotoevsky has a book called 'Notes from Underground'. That book questions how we lie in human psychology. It's profoundly telling what troubles people the most. Two things have deeply influenced me to understand life . I want everyone to read that book.

There is a book called 'Tai Te Ching' by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu . That is in the form of the verse . The book says to see life as it is. The other is the book of Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna called Moolamadhyamaka-Karika. My ideology is  There are two influential books. One is George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'.

How power influences each other. We talk about equality. Equality is not equal to all . This is a tough question. This is a great political satire. There is another book called 'Brave New World'.

This book is about how people are controlled by power. I recently read a book called 'The Crowd'. Our society is now on the brink of chaos. How unpopular leaders are gathering so many people? Well done. 

Recommend movies and books to the new generation ?
I suggest the new generation to read the book on cinema grammar first. Without knowledge of grammar, even what you want to say will not come out correctly . There are many books for this. Let's read 'The Hero is a Thousand Faces', I say.