As the film ‘Lalima’ prepares for release on Falgun 29, its lead actress Roshni Karki says her performance is rooted in direct conversations with women in the profession her character represents.
Karki portrays ‘Lalima,’ a sex worker, in what she describes as a demanding role. Coming from a theatre background, she took on such a character for the first time and chose to study the lived realities behind it rather than rely solely on scripts.
To understand the psychological and social dimensions of the role, she met 10 sex workers with the coordination of the production team. According to her, the discussions ranged from college-going teenagers to middle-aged women. Most of them, she said, shared that financial hardship had pushed them into the profession.
Karki acknowledged that she did not personally know anyone from that community before this project, noting that many prefer to keep their work private. However, she said engaging with them became essential because the film focuses more on their mental and emotional landscape within a Nepali social context.
The actress believes her portrayal reflects the experiences of a significant number of women whose stories often remain unseen. She said that through this role, she has attempted to bring their concerns and inner struggles to the screen, expressing satisfaction in being able to represent their voice.
As the release date approaches, the film positions itself around the human side of a profession rarely explored in depth in mainstream Nepali cinema.