Nischal Basnet is a Nepali director, actor and playback singer who predominantly works in Nepali cinema. Considered as one of the best director of Nepali cinema, he is widely acclaimed for "revolutionizing Nepali cinema" through his realistic, dark and comic depiction of social problems prevalent in Nepal on celluloid screen. Basnet has directed three feature films: Loot (2012), Talakjung vs Tulke (2014) and Loot 2 (2017). He has acted in the films Kabaddi (2014), Dui Rupaiyan (2017), and Prasad (2018). Basnet debuted as a film director with the crime-thriller Loot, which earned 25.5 million Nepalese rupees (NPR) and became a "cult classic" and the highest grossing Nepali film ever. After his successful debut as a director, he debuted as an actor in Uma (2013). Basnet later directed the dark comedy Talakjung vs Tulke, which was critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The film was selected as the Nepalese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Basnet has received numerous awards, including the Dcine Award for Best Debut Director and Best Cameo Role. He has also won a National Film Award for Best Director, and a nomination for Best Actor in a Negative Role at the Kamana Film Awards and Dcine Awards. Basnet has been married to Nepalese film actress Swastima Khadka since 2016. Career 2012–2015: Directorial and acting debut Before making his directorial debut in 2012, Basnet said that he "didn't have the slightest clue that [he] would be getting into moviemaking" and added that he had not given any thought to it; after watching "mind-numbingly boring Nepali movies" in 2009, being disappointed that Nepalese films were "so terrible", he decided that he would "make a film within the next 5 years at any cost". Basnet read books and spent time on the internet to learn about film-making. The same year, he directed an unreleased short film titled Innocent, which criticises gun culture in Kathmandu. This film started struggling during its post-production: Basnet recalls that he "tried every way to save the movie but [they] weren't professionals" and that he "hopelessly [tried] to edit the movie and sync the sound on [his] laptop with [a] friend". Basnet has said that he does not think he will release the film, blaming his inexperience for its outcome. Basnet made his directorial release debut in 2012 with the critically acclaimed crime-thriller Loot. The film