Fateko Jutta: A new comedy set entirely in Tarai

Five years ago while returning from Pokhara, producer Arjun Kumar was stuck in a road strike. Then, he caught himself saying, “Life has become worthless like a Fateko Jutta (a torn shoe).” The phrase, Fateko Jutta, remained with him, and after arriving in the Capital, he announced to make a movie with the same title. “I was searching for a good script, but it took almost four years to find one,” Arjun Kumar shared the inception story at a promotional event on Wednesday. The event saw the presence of actor Saugat Malla and director Nikesh Khadka, and among others.

Fateko Jutta features actors Saugat Malla, Priyanka Karki, Kameshor Chaurasiya, Rabindra Jha and Anoj Pandey in the lead roles. “The film will depict the worthless life of Mintu, played by Saugat Malla,” said Khadka. The movie is also one of the first in Nepali cinema to be entirely set in the Tarai belt of the country. According to the director, the movie will comically depict a cross border kidnapping in Birgunj—an issue that often plagues the region.
Actor Saugat Malla, who grew up in the Tarai, believes that despite the lightheartedness of the movie, it will help bring the nation’s attention to many issues that people of Tarai regularly face. The director and producer both said that the movie will be entertaining to people from all walks of life. “Fateko Jutta will set a new benchmark for mainstream comedy,” the producer said. Fateko Jutta will hit theatres around the country on November 3.