KATHMANDU: Shambhala is a Sanskrit word for a place of peace. Director Min Bahadur Bham takes us on a journey to Shambhala, an experience not to be missed.
The scenic film weaves the story of a pregnant woman, Pema, who is in search of her husband, who doesn’t return after he goes for trade in a rural Himalayan village.
The marriage is polyandrous; she is married to three brothers in a simple ritual in the presence of Rinpoche and her parents.
Tashi, her eldest husband, is responsible for managing the household, Karma is a monk, and Dawa is an 11-year-old child.
The film is based on Pema’s worldview, and it is surprising that a male director has done justice in understanding the feminine conscience and consciousness.
This film also makes the audience realize the tapestry of a woman’s life. Despite being revered, she has to prove herself at each step, like Goddess Sita had to give agnipariksha.
Pema’s father advises her to love all the husbands equally, to which her mother protests, “There will always be one who is closest to your heart.”
Pema is close to Tashi, who goes to Lhasa for trade, and she is left to take care of Dawa.
After Tashi leaves, Pema becomes close with Ram Sir, Dawa’s school teacher. Soon after Tashi leaves for trade, Pema gets pregnant.
This makes the villagers suspect that the school teacher is the father of Pema’s unborn baby.
The pilgrims who were in the village also heard about this rumor and on their way told Tashi. Tashi is ashamed and doesn’t come back.
Pema makes the journey to find her husband Tashi along with Karma and Nhamkha, her horse, to prove her innocence to Tashi.
The characters in Shambhala are not just humans; nature is a character, and one of the biggest characters is Pema’s horse, Nhamkha.
I connected this with actor-network theory, where non-human factors also play a crucial role.
According to ANT theory, non-human actors such as things, technology, nature, and animals also have agency.
While most films and even theories give importance to humans only, this story also revolves around the beautiful yet difficult terrains of the Himalayas and the cattle that reside there.
Pema has a special bond with Nhamkha, the horse. She is seen feeding and petting the horse from the beginning of the masterpiece.
Pema is an angelic goddess through the director’s lens. In Hindu religion, goddesses have their vahana (vehicle).
For instance, Goddess Saraswati’s vahana is a swan, Goddess Durga rides a tiger, and Goddess Parvati rides a lion.
Similarly, Pema has her horse, a crucial part of her journey. In one instance, due to Karma’s negligence, the horse gets lost, which makes Pema annoyed.
She orders Karma to search for Nhamkha and then return to the monastery. This act shows how much the horse means to her and her attachment to the animal.
Later, she finds that a man is riding her horse, and while she tries to take it back from him, the man becomes violent towards her. Karma then gives him some money and retrieves the horse.
After a while, it is seen that the man who had stolen Pema’s horse and disrespected both Pema and Karma suffers.
His daughter commits suicide, and he needs a monk for the rituals.
The man returns to Karma, gives back the money, and asks him to perform the rituals for the sky burial of his daughter.
The unique death ritual of this culture is also fascinating and depicted decently in the film.
There is a moment when Pema is alone and falls asleep on her journey. When she wakes up, she finds that Nhamkha is not there.
She searches for Nhamkha, only to discover that the animal has died and is covered in snow.
Fierce and independent, Pema breaks down at this point, looking at her dear companion lifeless.
Even though the film was selected for a competition at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear with its first screening on February 23 at Berlinale Palast, the buzz in the Nepali media or from Nepali celebrities is minimal.
This film also makes the audience realize the tapestry of a woman’s life. Despite being revered, she has to prove herself at each step, like Goddess Sita had to give agnipariksha.
The dynamic cycle of a woman’s life—being a beloved daughter, getting married, being in love, becoming pregnant, and becoming a mother—is portrayed in the film.
The best part of the film is that it also goes beyond this cycle and shows the path to enlightenment.
The dual and contradictory nature of men is also depicted in the film. Tashi is concerned about what society would say if they keep the baby.
“Abort the baby even if it is mine,” Tashi confronts Pema after she finds him after an arduous journey.
On the other hand, her other husband, Karma, doesn’t even question her. For Karma, the act of giving birth itself is a miracle, and it doesn’t matter who the baby belongs to.
The sepia-toned dream scenes take us to a symbolic world throughout the film. The dream scenes serve as an anchor between reality and imagination. Shambhala is an ethnographic account of a village that is rarely known to the outside world. The audience can expect deep philosophy in the storytelling.
Towards the end, Pema tells Ram Sir, “We all have our paths.” This movie is an experience because it will connect the audience to life philosophy and the purpose of existence.
However, Shambhala doesn’t seem to be everyone’s cup of tea.
Even though the film was selected for a competition at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear with its first screening on February 23 at Berlinale Palast, the buzz in the Nepali media or from Nepali celebrities is minimal.
A masterpiece like Shambhala deserves broader interpretation, discussions, and discourse.
(The author is a teacher, writer, and researcher. You can get connected to her on LinkedIn Abhilasha Rayamajhi – Assistant Professor and Writing Center Lead – King’s College Nepal | LinkedIn)
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