2016 is going to be one heck of a year for the Nepalese film industry. A lot of promising films and various new faces are ready to take the industry by storm this year. Some of the most popular models are all set to debut on silver screen this year and one such name is Amrit Dhungana. But if you think he is just another model turned actor, let us do the honors and correct you. Unlike most of the other debutant actors, he already has proved his acting skills through a number of theatre plays and short films. We had a quick conversation with him to find out a little more about him and his upcoming project. Here’s everything you need to know about him.

Who is he?

The 21-year-old is originally from Dharan. He is currently living in Kathmandu. He is passionate about acting and wants to establish himself as a good actor in the industry.

All set to get introduced by a big banner

Amrit will be debuting with Durgish Film’s fourth venture ‘Saayad 2’ in a leading role. Sushil Shrestha, Sandhya KC and Aashirman DS Joshi too are to be seen in lead roles in this 2012 blockbuster ‘Saayad’ sequel. The film will be directed by Puspa Raj Neupane who has so far assisted in direction of many Bollywood flicks such as Raaz 3, Hate Story 3 and more.

A popular actor already

It might be his first experience of working in a feature film but he is not new to acting. One of the most promising young actors from Mandala Theatre, he has worked in three plays so far – ‘Jaar’, ‘Palace of Illusion’ and ‘Kohi Kina Barbaad Hos’. Apart from theatre, he has also worked in several popular short films such as ‘Date in UN Park’, ‘Son In Law’, ‘First Time In Nepal’, ‘Smart Guy’ and more. He is probably the most popular short film actor presently. No, that’s not all yet, he also has worked in a couple of music videos. Phew! This guy is definitely something, right?

Trained by the bests

Apart from his hard work and dedication, what makes him more promising than other new actors is that he has been trained by some of the best mentors. He started his acting training under Sunil Pokharel in Mandala Theatre. And now, as part of the film workshop, he is being trained by Bholaraj Sapkota along with the other cast of ‘Saayad 2’. Talking about Amrit’s progress with NeoStuffs, Sapkota told that he has been doing extremely well and the team is very satisfied with his work.

How did he get the big break?

We talked to producer, Sunil Rawal, to find out how he came to know about Amrit and why he was chosen to play the lead. According to him, he had watched some of his short films and was very impressed by his acting skills. When the project was under planning and he was looking for some fresh faces, Amrit was one of his first choices. On the other hand, Amrit too was equally excited to work with this banner who have so far given back to back hit films such as Saayad, Hostel and Hostel Returns.

His experience so far with the film

The acting workshop of the film is still going on under the training of Bholaraj Sapkota. According to Amrit, he has been learning quite a lot from the workshop and he can’t wait for the film to go on floor in April.

His favorite actors

Some of his favorite Nepali actors are Priyanka Karki, Khagendra Lamichhane, Dayahang Rai, Richa Sharma and Bijay Baral. Apart from Nepali films, he is equally interested in Hollywood and Bollywood flicks. His favorite international actors are  Tom Hanks, Will Ferrel, Meryl Streep, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

His idols

For him, his parents are his greatest source of inspiration and they are his idols. Apart from them, his mentor Nitin Chand is someone he looks up to.

His words for his fans and well-wishers

“Thank you for supporting my work so far. I stand committed to the purpose of entertaining you all. I hope you find my future works as pleasing as all of my works so far. I will put my best foot forward to uplift the standards of acting in the Nepalese film industry. I just can’t thank you enough for all your love.”

And now, here’s what we think of him

We feel extremely happy that quite a lot of promising debutant actors are all set to be a part of the Nepali film industry and we have high expectations from all of them. We had even published a list of 13 promising debutant actors to look forward to this year (read it here) in January. But unfortunately, as Amrit hadn’t been signed for the film back then, we couldn’t make him a part of the list. But if we have to update the list, he would undoubtedly be a part of it. We’ve always loved his work. His comic timing, dialogue delivery and expressions are always on point. We look forward to see this young guy on the silver screen soon. We are pretty sure that he is the NEXT BIG THING!

Watch his short film titled ‘Smart Guy’ here. Let us know if you think he has got what it takes to make a mark for himself in the industry.

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