Director Naveen Chauhan's film 'Oonko Sweeter', which is telling a story through songs, was promoted by the song 'Kafle' sung by singer Jhuma Limbu.

Reena Moktan talk with Naveen about 'wool sweeter' and song-journey :  Covid-19 director Naveen Chauhan continues to write many songs and stories through 'Artmandu'. Songs such as 'Ke Maya Langaka Ra', 'Teenpate', 'Ghumighumi', 'Sunakhari', 'Batouli', 'Chandrama' became massive hits. In each of these songs, director Chauhan has mixed a beautiful story, showing the common life and the dimensions associated with it.

Chauhan, who worked behind the famous songs of Artmandu, painted a fine story on a small canvas. From nostalgia to beauty of Nepali lifestyle. How many people listen to the songs of Artmandu do not recognize Chauhan, but the identity of the director Chauhan is hidden in every melody, the feeling in the story, the intervals of those songs. Now Chauhan has found a big canvas to tell the story - 'wool sweater'. 

The style adopted by Naveen to make a song-story is new. In the beginning he draws the story and then the song is written on the drawn story. When the emotions of the story were expressed in words, the comparison of the music video and the song sounded beautiful! Chauhan followed this style and composed the song Artmandu. Looking back, Naveen feels, he was practicing filmmaking from that time.

This style helped Naveen to make the film. That style helped me while designing the film. Especially when shooting, I didn't know what color would be in the film, what kind of background music would be made. I had the character, the camera and the production. I was working on that basis," Chauhan says, "At that time, while making music videos, my style seemed strange, but it came to be compatible with film production. Especially that style is my school.'

director Chauhan was struck with this style by a song. About 6 months after opening Artmandu, Chauhan got a chance to direct the song when he was unable to find a director. The song was 3 minutes, the story became 12 minutes. After covering the whole story in three minutes, he released a song with the lyrics 'Lukichypi'. Made on the same song that was left in the cut, 'Ke Maya Langa Ra?' introduced Artmandu with director Chauhan in a surprising way.

After that, Chauhan first started the trend of making videos and making songs. That trend became like my signature. But, I did that for my convenience,' says Chauhan. Due to this style, Naveen did not have a script for the film until long after he announced that he would make the film. I had a story in my mind but no written blueprint in my hand. However, realizing that the script is the backbone of the film, he wrote down the story in his mind. 

In 'Oonko Sweeter' there is a love story between the characters of Kafle and Gurungseni. Born and brought up in Panchthar, Naveen has mixed geographical diversity and cultural aspects in the film. He knew that showing the society in which he was immersed in the film would be realistic. Therefore, the story of Kafle and Gurungseni was recorded to show the amicable environment of Panchthar and its beauty. He himself grew up in Limbu village. A courtyard is attached to his house – belonging to the Limbu family.

that's why he made a film capturing the community close to him. There is a dense settlement of the Limbu community as soon as Panchthar is called. Having said that, other communities are also there. There are different communities," Naveen said, "I am very close to their customs and culture, I know those things. Although I belong to a different community, I know more about the Limbu community than myself. Therefore, I thought that this story should be made by thinking why not show the beauty of that community.'  Along with the love between men and women, the

film tries to show the boundaries and different walls of the society. However, director Chauhan was reluctant to show these walls. The reason is the filming of the film in three phases!

No matter how popular the song 'Kafle' is, only Naveen and his team know the pain of film-shooting. Shooting three times increased the cost of the production team. It took 6 months to complete the shoot. The team left Kathmandu for shooting on May 17 and it was October 17 when the film was completed. However, he sees life even within these walls of filming.

Lead actor Bipin Karki's mother passed away during the filming of the film. In the meantime, a daughter of 5 members of the construction team was born. Director Chauhan himself became the father of a daughter. In the meantime Panchakanya arrived. Birth, death, all vicissitudes. After all, life is between birth and death. All this was suffered by woolen sweaters," he said, remembering the old times, "the film was made amid a lot of emotional upheaval." 

Especially since Chauhan started directing music videos, he never considered himself a storyteller. Thinking that storytelling is a serious subject, Churpi went into business. Before that, he was a regular viewer of dramas, also interested in acting. He also volunteered in theater for 2/3 years. However, he chose business after realizing that acting was not his path. Forgetting the art field, indulged in business for 3/4 years.

After getting stuck in business, one question started playing in my mind,  'Now what?' Money alone does not give satisfaction. By that time, the theater friends had moved on, some in films and others in painting. But how to return to art? 'Story telling' was not in mind. Therefore, thinking of becoming a producer, he opened 'Artmandu' with the idea of ​​producing songs/short films. The

channel was opened but there was no content to keep. And so began the journey of finding a music video director. A friend was sure to sing. However, they did not find a director to make the video. Some directors will ask for a lot of money, some will refuse. Wait and wait! Not even a single video was made for 6 months after opening the company. One day Naveen was watching a short film he had made during his theater days. A friend who came across with an offer to sing said, 'Oh! If you are the director, you should do our song.' I found out that he likes art and literature. However, at that time it was said that I could not become a director, writer, artist. At least I thought I could do business. Anyway, I opened Artmandu because I should be close to art. I've always been around film, always been a film person in one way or another - like Destiny.'  Naveen, who used to tell stories through