KATHMANDU: Paras Bam, a social media star best known as ‘Cool Boy,’ has taken his first major step into Nepal’s film industry with Hostel-3. With nearly million followers across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, Bam’s transition from digital content to mainstream cinema signals a shift in how actors are discovered in Nepal’s evolving entertainment landscape.
Born in Punarh, Kanchanpur, Bam was raised in a middle-class family. His father was a retired police constable, and his mother worked as a seamstress. As the youngest of four siblings, with three older sisters, Bam was showered with love and care.
Bam’s early years were marked by a lack of self-confidence. He recalls a time when he felt insecure about his appearance, especially his protruding teeth.
“I used to laugh with my mouth closed. How could I gain confidence in such a way to enter this glamorous industry?” he says.
But as life would unfold, these insecurities would later become the very traits that inspired him to break free from his self-imposed barriers.
Education for Bam was not about being the top student; rather, it was about surviving in a system that didn’t always appeal to him. His parents recognized his intelligence, but Bam himself was a self-proclaimed ‘student who didn’t pay attention to studying.’
Despite this, he always performed well academically, often ranking in the top three during his exams.
However, Bam’s true passion wasn’t books or exams. It was sports—specifically cricket. As a wicketkeeper-batsman, he felt that cricket was his true calling. He dreamed of representing Nepal in international cricket, but life had other plans.
His parents, hoping for a secure future for him, encouraged him to pursue science after completing his SEE exams.
“I wanted to become a cricketer, but my family had other plans. They wanted me to become a doctor or engineer,” Bam shares. At that moment, the dream of becoming a cricketer faded into the background.
Life changing
After passing SEE with excellent results, Bam moved to Kathmandu to study science. Although he found comfort under the protection of his sister, his dreams took another turn. New friends in the capital, who were focused on going abroad after their studies, began influencing him.
“I thought if my friends were going abroad, why not me?” he says. His family supported his decision, and he even started preparing to study nursing in Australia.
But life again dealt him a tough blow. The Covid pandemic hit Nepal and the world hard in 2020, and just like millions of others, Bam’s plans came to a halt. His plans to study abroad were delayed, and with no immediate source of income, he began searching for work in Kathmandu. However, his job hunt was fruitless.
It was during this turbulent time that Bam discovered TikTok. As the world was locked down due to the pandemic, the popularity of short videos surged.
Bam, intrigued by the trend, began making roast videos on TikTok, often laced with double meanings. Despite disapproval from his mother, who scolded him for the content, Paras was undeterred. “I didn’t stop making them,” he remembers.
However, tragedy struck again. Bam’s father succumbed to Covid, an event that shook him to his core. The loss of his father sent him into a state of grief, and he lost 15 kg in weight in a matter of days.
“After my father passed away, I lost my will. For a whole year, I couldn’t even raise my head,” he says, speaking about the emotional toll the loss took on him.
With his father gone and no financial support to pursue his dream of studying abroad, Bam faced the reality of his situation.
“Without my father, there was no one to take loans for my studies. My future seemed uncertain,” he says, reflecting on how his world had changed.
However, the death of his father also became a turning point in his life. Bam moved back to Kanchanpur, and after a year of grieving, he began to slowly regain his focus.
Star is born
With the weight of grief slowly lifting, Bam returned to TikTok, but this time, he wasn’t just making roast videos. He began creating short, original content with the help of his friends.
He wrote his own scripts, acted, and even edited the videos using his mobile phone. The videos were simple but reflected his creativity and personality.
“I used to shoot everything on my mobile and edit it myself. There were no Wi-Fi facilities, so I had to borrow money from friends to upload videos,” he said.
By Dashain of 2022, Paras had already posted 20 to 25 videos on TikTok, gaining a steady following. However, his big break came when he uploaded a video about a road accident during the Dashain festival, in which he portrayed the role of a co-driver. The video went viral, and his popularity skyrocketed.
“When ‘Routine of Nepal Banda,’ a popular Facebook page with millions of followers, posted about my video, my followers grew exponentially,” Paras says.
The exposure he gained led to brand collaborations and promotional offers, which would eventually become a significant source of income.
One of his first promotional projects was for ‘Bubble Tea,’ where Paras shot, edited, and uploaded the video in real-time. The video went viral, garnering over two million views.
“That was my first earnings from TikTok, and it felt amazing,” he says. Following that, he started gaining recognition from both brands and fans, and the nickname ‘Cool Boy’ was born.
Cool Boy the actor
Bam’s transition from TikTok star to a film hero was not immediate. Initially, he received offers to appear in music videos, but he declined, wanting to establish himself as a TikTok content creator first.
“I didn’t want to do someone else’s music video. I wanted to create my own content,” he says.
But when the opportunity to star in Hostel-3 came along, Bam knew it was the right moment to take the leap. Although he initially hesitated due to the stigma attached to TikTok stars in the Nepali film industry, he eventually accepted the role.
“After the TikTok ban in Nepal, I felt it was the right time to step into films,” he says.
In preparation for the role, Bam worked hard, losing 17 kg to fit the image of a film hero.
“Coming from a TikTok background, I knew that people would be quick to criticize if I didn’t deliver. I worked carefully on my role,” he says.
Hostel-3 has now become a significant milestone in his career, not just because of the role itself but because it marked his successful transition from a social media influencer to a legitimate actor in Nepal’s film industry.
He has proven that success can be achieved through a combination of passion, resilience, and taking risks. Bam is proud of his journey, from making short videos on his mobile phone to becoming a leading actor in Nepali cinema.
His message to his followers is clear: “Don’t let your dreams be limited by your circumstances. Keep pushing forward, and work hard to turn your passion into a career.”
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