Kapil Rijal swaps a career in dentistry in Lightwater to make films
Kapil Rijal, a former dentist from the UK, has successfully transitioned into a career as a film director in Nepal. His latest film, Gauthali, addresses significant social issues like child marriage and has become one of the country's highest-grossing movies.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intersection of professional career pivots and the power of cinema to influence social discourse in developing nations.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google James Cannon , in Lightwater and Nathan Bevan , South East Kapil Rijal Kapil Rijal (centre) has been into filmmaking since he was young A former dentist from Surrey has swapped molars for movies to become a famous film director in Nepal.
Kapil Rijal used to tend to patients' teeth in Lightwater before deciding to change career and chase his childhood celluloid dream.
His latest big screen effort, entitled Gauthali, is currently enjoying huge success and is the South Asian country's second highest grossing film to date.
It deals with topics such as child marriage, women's education and social discrimination, which Rijal described as "still very relevant there today".
Rijal, whose father had been a film maker and artist in Nepal, said he had been into movie-making since he was a boy.
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