On Sunday, a local teen, Subodh Mandal, was scouring through the movies in a DVD store at Main Road in Biratnagar. Having heard high praise for the Marathi blockbuster Sairat, which has grossed INRs 100 crore since its release in late-April, Mandal, a plus two student, was disappointed to learn that all copies of the movie had been sold out. “I have heard only good things about Sairat from my friends,” he said, “I am intrigued by it as I have heard that the director has created a great movie featuring not well-known celebrities but everyday people like us. I will now have to see if I can find a version online.”

The store owner confirmed that currently the movie was one of the most sought titles in town. “A lot of Nepalis are travelling to Indian towns like Jogbani, Forbesganj and Fulbadiya to catch a show in the theatres,” he said.

According to the IANS, Sairat is the largest grossing regional movie ever made in India. The movie, starring novice actors Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar, was directed by Nagraj Manjule and has continued to receive accolades not just at the box office but also from some of Bollywood’s heavy weights.

The film, which touches a raw nerve of such issues as racial and economic disparities in India, has seen widespread popularity in the South Asian region. The film revolves around the story of a formulaic love low-caste young boy and the upper-caste lady, cast in realism rather than populist Bollywood motifs.

The film has also been nominated for the Berlin International Film festival and is expected to make waves at other prestigious award ceremonies later this year.