The role of his life

In Nepal, he is a film superstar. In America, an unknown. But for Saroj Khanal, life in the U.S. has brought a different kind of success.

- http://www.newslookmag.com/saroj_khanal.htm

Yes he does own his own restaurant now. I feel proud of self-made saroj khanal. he proved that nothing is impossible if you have sheer determination. So what he had to start off working in a gas station, doont all americas start off working low jobs too? I am happy for Saroj dai

Its almost pathetic to read some of the comments.. Damn..some of you guys have missed a point esp Cool_keta..

It was a very honest, heart warming article about various transitions in one's life. Tranisitions are there not becoz one wants but one has to go through the process.. A man or woman's success is defined how he/she deals with that transition and moves ahead. It does not matter if he swept bathroom floors in 7 Eleven or now is a owner of a small restaurant. The issue is how he dealt with it phsysically, pshychologically and foremost culturally. An irony where a person from a higher caste due to globalization for pure financial reason is turned into a shudra caste... A man's gotta do what a man's gotta to. a man/woman might have many roles to play and should be ready.

The transtion DOES imply TO ALL OF US!!!.. the acts invoved in the transition might be different but it implies to all the human beings that grow older everyday. this is just not an issue of first generation migrant coming to America. this is about adaptating/functioning as a normal human being in a truly borderless world.

LEARNING to reflect might do us all good.

E.G. the chaos in Nepal. How do we deal with it now so that we do't have to deal with it tomorrow...

thanks lovaboy for the summary.

I agree with lovaboy.

The point of story is that he went through huge adversity and struggle to be where he his at now. It must have been hard to bury his ego of being a movie star and work a minimal job but again this is what he felt would do him good in the long run. Hats off to him!! He is working hard to make some well deserved dollars doing the Nepali way.

Interesting story, but why is there no mention of his wife, who was also -- if I am
not mistaken -- a well-known actress/theater artist in Nepal? Should her achievements, her many professional collaboration with Saroj and her own struggles as an artist not count, even as a tangent to Saroj's story?

And who was/is this Frank Rich equivalent of theater critic in Nepal? As theater
artists based in Nepal such as Anup Baral and Sunil Pokharel -- both graduates of
India's prestigious National School of Drama -- readiily admit there was and is not
much in Nepal in terms of theater reviews and criticisms.

Other than that, as someone who did go see a lot of plays while in Nepal, I can say that life has moved on. A number of versatile, talented and profesionally trained artists
have burst into the theater scene. For them, someone like Saroj Khanal would be a figure from a distant past, to be vaguely respected, but not someone from whom
they expect to learn more and new stuff in terms of their professional growth.

oohi
ashu

interesting story.

saroj khanal's 'not so celebrity' brother in nepal is no less successful.
poultry farm, house/ land in dhulikhel, another house in dhobighat,
purkhauli home in chitwan, and a new one coming up in bagdole or
bhaisepati. not bad for an entrepreneur, also a very hard working,
unassuming character. i guess enterpreneurism ( risk-taking) runs in
the family. also proof that you can still make it in Nepal.

on the lighter side, nepal's "dada type or mafia style" entrepreneurs
should consider going to transition countries (previously part of Soviet
Union) where laws are weak! hope deepak manangay, and chakre are
reading this!! but apparently they find laws and law enforcement in
Nepal much weaker.

karmapa

I don't deny he is a good actor and a famous one in nepal... He has struggled in america I know that.......but that basterd had it easy........ stop looking at the crocodile tears.... and look past it.. he has a greencard.!!!!!! no.1 thing in post 911 america...... he got it due to his acting career in nepal..... I am not bad mouthing him.... all I am saying is he had it easy... Greencard opens doors even for blind and the handicapped..... so what he has done is nothing...... it is the story of half of nepali people in america..... the other half came to go to college.....By the way he doesn't own the Kumari no more.. that is what I had heard a few months back....ONE more thing............ I didni't know he had played 60 movies between 88 and 93.... ( I didn't know nepal made that many movies and saroj palyed 60 of them.. tha is 12 moies a year)...... if anyone sees him.. ask him how come he didin't even have a ride when he was a hero... if his father was so rich... how come he didn't own a motorcycle (prefered ride of those days in nepal)...how come he used to walk in chappal in ghattekulo ..... He thinks people only know him as an actor... but he surely forgot his humble days.. before he became a star of the silver screen (then came all the lies and stories)... how easily he forgets the sekwa and vodka in putalisadak every evening (soon marries someone's wife so he can be famous)..... Mohan thapa helped this Bhramin's ass rise in america, made him his partner, so did many people in nepal...Mr.Khanal is an oppourtinist (period).. he is one of those men who forgets who he is easily and never stops to thank people who helped him when he was in need..but what he has done now is good he brought his family here and helped his step-children....... my 2 cents.... (I knew and hung out with mr.khanal back in 89-91,till I came to america) .... He was (not anymore) one of the very few good actors in nepal) R.I.P. his movie career in nepal.....

what saroj khanal has done is applausable, but we have to remember that he is not the only one who is doing that, there are other people who have done, are doing, and might do in the future as well (hope the numbers decrease, but we have to admit that there will be some people doing that). But, why is it that Saroj Khanal is getting the limelight, just because he was an actor in Nepal ? So what ? There is no point in us feeling sorry or pity or congratulating Mr. Khanal just for what he did, as he isn't the only one doing it and yes, there are people who have struggled in the united states in worse conditions than mr. khanal. His story will be really applaudable if he helps something good happen back home, and not just sit back on his chair in Wendy's.

And yeah, i seriously doubt if he can be a 'successful' actor if he goes back home and acts again, and the line from the article 'he'll return to the land where he is still a major name', doesn't seem true, ppl have already forgotten about him, and even if they do remember he is remembered as an actor who went to the us to wash dishes; have to face the facts.

I wonder under what visa Saroj dai came to US and how he became Legalized in US .... just wondering ... but what he did was his "Biwastha" ... if he had stayed in nepal , he cudn't have achieved as much as he achieved here ... well , atleast finalcially i mean ... talking about working odd jobs, most people starts out like dat here in USA, even Brad Pitt was working in a restaurant as a Busboy ... and there are so many examples like dat ... so heads up to u Saroj dai ...

The article is long but does go in depth about his struggle back home and in US of A. As for me I would think he can no longer live by the name he earned when he was actively in nepalese acting scene. Things have changed...for him..for theater scene back home and of course for people. He is regarded as someone who thought grass is greener on the other side and left the country to feed on greener grass. I doubt people forget those kinds of things..specially in Nepal!
I think this is the right time for him to start helping the theater scene back home as now he is able so that people can say well, he went but he did help though! I am looking forward to that from anyone who has passed the struggle phase and is now in a stable position in foreign land..How to help?? Check out the different NGOs listed in sajha or do something on your own..sure people like saroj khanal's initiative will be respected by many!
Revival
Waiting for New Beginning.

Afterall it is Saroj Khanal's life. Wherever and in whatever way he wants to live it, it is his choice. Who are we to judge him?
Acting didn't server his purpose, so he left it and settled in US. BIG DEAL!!!!

public life of a celebrity like Saroj Khanal is always judged by public! There is no harm on that and it is all natural! That is something that you get automatically when you are a celebrity....PUBLIC JUDGEMENT ON YOUR PRIVATE LIFE!!

So Hurray, this is a natural thing don't need to over react ;-)

Revival

Revival,
It might be a natural thing for those people on whom the tabloid industries thrive.

After all, after all said and done, the bottom line is, it is his life.

Well I see your point Hurray! It is hard to be a celebrity is what I want to come to... You loose your private life, you gain fame and fortune (well in this case, not really fortune though)... Yes it is his life and he has the right to do what he wants to do but again his life is always being watched from the eye of the public! Celebrity will never be able to enjoy the private life that we all don't much care about..once you become a celebrity, the very private life becomes the very essence of your living and you dye thriving for one!
Guys, let's leave Mr. Saroj alone! I am sure he has read this topic in Sajha..! If he has to say anything to it before this thread dies, now is the good time
Revival

I don't know how accurate a depiction is that article of Saroj Khanal's life, but it does tug a string in one's heart. I don't watch Nepali movies much, so did not know about Khanal as a silverscreen hero, but the fact that he swallowed his ego of a star and reinvented his life from the humble beginning of a toilet cleaner, does resonate as a heroic feat.

Riten I think we are going back to square one!.. I don't resonate the act of toilet cleaning as heroic feat. Everyone does it..this is the reality.... For a star...yeah may be a little awakward but it is doable...marta kya na karta?
Someone already said above is whatever he did is what average nepali does here in U.S. Nothing so big deal about it.

The sad thing is despite doing all that the average nepali don't get a Green Card for their hard work but Saroj did..he used his popularity to file for EB-1 case which righteously won him the green card. I think he can be considered both luckier and more talented than other nepalese who don't have a channel to get the green card.

Oh @hit, guys can't we talk about something else? Fcuk Saroj Khanal. I thought there were other important things that Sajhaites talked about. Obviously not. Lets talk about Saroj Khanal cause we got nothing else to do !!!! Bullshit

doggone-dougg, if you have something in mind, you should start a new thread instead of putting this thread to the topof the list by adding to it.

I agree with you Zalim. But look at how much time people talking about some bs like this. Never thought Saroj Khanal was such a significant figure...wow.

Peace.

Well, there are well educated, PhD holders, professors, businessmen etc. from Nepal coming and starting life at Pizza hut or McDonals in US. So, citing Saroj's success just because he was a movie actor in Nepal is not that impressive. However, as a Nepali who came to this land and worked his way through hardships is very praisable. Congrats to him! As written in the article, I don't think he was that famous or living luxurious life back in Nepal so as to drop tears to work on the floor. Comeon, we all have to start somewhere and I think all Nepalese in US who are working, no matter where, are equally laudable.