Rhythms of Rebellion: Unpacking Damaru Ko Dandibiyo

As the title of the movie "Damaru ko Dandibiyo" suggests,  before reviewing the movie, It is better to understand What Dandibiyo actually is?  Dandibiyo was a de facto outdoor national game of Nepal until 23 May 2017, when volleyball was declared the national sport. It is played with dandi (stick) and biyo (wooden pin). The game was mostly played by Nepali youths between the 1980s and 1990s. It was locally developed in rural areas reflecting the use of local tools and techniques. Let's say cricket is a modernized form of cricket. With the decreasing players, negligence of the government, the invention of new technology, and the evolution of online and video games, this game is expected to be extinct soon.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. 

– Thomas A. Edison

A person without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots. Dandibiyo; an indigenous amateur game of sticks is an invaluable part of Nepalese identity amid sports. Due to the popularity of football, cricket, and video games, Dandibiyo is in danger of going the way of the dodo. It is sidelined by the county, general environment, and public. In the present world, we seem trapped in the short. The present generation enjoys the greatest power in history, but it appears to have the shortest vision in history. Thus Dandibiyo has become a nearly-forgotten sport. The national game of other countries is famous all over the world. However, our national game; now removed even by the government; is not even played even in the whole country. The movie "Damaru ko Dandibiyo" tells the story of a character who is determined to bring the game back to its existence.

Cast: Khagendra Lamichhane, Menuka Pradhan, Anup Baral, Buddhi Tamang, Laxmi  Bardewa, Ashant Sharma

Director: Chhetan Gurung

Synopsis:

Our very own "Pashupati Prasad"; Khagendra Lamichhane;  stars as Dambar; who after finishing his masters, returns to his village to revive dandibiyo. For that, he calls for help from his old village pals Mukhiya (Buddhi Tamang) and Mala (Menuka Pradhan). His friends are reluctant because they are busy in their own lives—Mukhiya is a poor shepherd and Mala is a school teacher. The village kids are not convinced either. His father, Yogendra, once a reputed dandibiyo player, opposes him and tells him to concentrate on his career. Things didn’t pan out as planned during the youth of Yogendra who dreamed of taking dandibiyo to an international level and since then he’s devel­oped a bitterness towards the game; he’s disgusted by the idea of his son giving up everything to become a torchbearer of dandi-biyo. The first half of the film teaches the audience about dandibiyo and its rules. The second half was equally good and engaging as the audience wants to know if Damaru would revive the sport or not.

 

Review:

The movie is art blended with the 80s/90s childhood memories. Damaru ko Dandibiyo revolves around the forgotten sport of dandibiyo. It poses big questions about sustainability and ownership of homegrown sports like dandi-biyo and manifests itself as a love letter to the game from the makers. Damaru's dialogue; "What is the popular sport of the world? - Football - Then why do people play Hockey?" shows that it is the people who need to value their sports for making its recognition and develop their own originality.  All the actors have given stellar performances. The courage of the hero inside the film and the courage of the team outside the film must be considered. Lamichhane, in the lead role, amuses us with his natural acting. His way of delivering dialogues with emotions really catches the audience with motivation in phrases like "If you love me, love my dreams too". Anup Baral as Damaru's father is equally good in his role as coach. Menuka Pradhan was particularly good in emotional scenes. Supporting actor Buddhi Tamang along with Ashant Sharma and Laxmi Bardewa has done justice to their respective roles through their decent performance. The background scores and the music in the film are in perfect position. The cinematography of matches is amazing. 

 

Flaws and Weakness:

The lack of chemistry between Menuka and Lamichhane was visible. There’s a nearly 10-minute-long expo­sition scene where Dambar chalks up the complex rules of the game to explain to his teammates. If only the script had given them a little more life, the movie would’ve been more lifelike, more relatable. 

 

The story ends with a quote by A.P.J. Kalam-" You have to dream before your dreams can come true.." Excluding the subject of the story, the film highly motivates us to believe in our dreams as the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Thus, Don't be afraid of the space between dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it. Never escape from your dreams once you have planned for them. Overall the movie is worth a watch. It’s quite disheartening that more movies like these aren’t being made.