Rama Adhikari, TGT
Kathmandu, 10 April
Chhui, a novel was Ghanashyam Pathik was launched amidst a grand launching ceremony in the capital on Saturday. The book was launched by actors Manoj Gajurel and Richa Sharma and model and Miss Nepal World Shrinkhala Khatiwada at Mandala Theater. The launch featured a talk show on the book, hosted by Manoj Gajurel and participated by Richa Sharma and Shrinkhala Khatiwada as panelists. The discussion was centered on menstruation and taboos surrounding it, which form the gist of the novel.
Speaking on the occasion, model Shrinkhala Khatiwada said she was shocked to find a male author dealing with menstrual issue in such fine details and with such empathetic sensibility. Actress Sharma said restrictions imposed upon menstruating women have ‘synched’ into her ‘system’ through inherited family values though she herself has no faith in it. She also expressed the potential of developing the story of Chhui into a feature film.
Actor Manoj Gajurel lauded the work as a brilliant and socially pertinent delivery. Author Pathik revealed that an incident that occurred with one of his girl classmates years ago during the latter’s first menstruation triggered the idea of the novel.
The work has been published by Shikha Books.