Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali made the movie Ram-Leela with actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. However, the movie’s title caused a big controversy in India. Later, Bhansali changed the name to Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela after protests from the Rajput community.
Similar issues over movie titles are now common in Nepal too. Many filmmakers seem to use title controversies as a way to get attention and promote their movies. Recently, the film Aktor: Take One faced criticism for allegedly copying another movie’s title. The movie was supposed to release on Lhosar festival day but was delayed until Friday, possibly due to internal agreements. Some believe this was just a publicity stunt.
Director Gyanendra Deuja says the dispute between Aktor and Aktor: Take One is just a marketing trick. Since the movie was releasing anyway, he questions why such drama was needed. He thinks this is simply a way to attract audiences. He also points out that this is not the first time such issues have come up.
Jharana Thapa’s movie Ek Bhagavad Gita also faced controversy because of its title. Organizations like the Spiritual Development Society and Hindu Awakening Nepal protested, saying the title hurt religious sentiments. Due to this, the name was changed to Ek Bhagavat Ra Ek Gita.
Movie writer Abhimanyu Niravi believes that having similar movie titles is not a big issue. He says adding or changing a few words does not make much difference. According to him, what really matters is a good story and quality filmmaking. He also thinks stopping a movie’s release over such a small issue is embarrassing and causes financial losses. He suggests that such conflicts often happen due to personal egos and bad advice from consultants.
This is not the first time Nepal’s film industry has seen title changes. Previously, Mero Hajur was changed to A Mero Hajur, Parshuram to Jai Parshuram, Bhole to Jai Bhole, Don to Mr. Don, and Takkar to Takkar Dui Mutuko.
Movie names are very important because they help describe the film’s story. However, name-related controversies continue to happen despite clear rules. According to the Nepal Film Act of 2026 BS, no movie can have the same name as another registered movie for ten years. Even with this rule, such disputes keep happening and will likely continue in the future.
