Kabaddi 4: The Final Match
Kabaddi 4: The Final Match is a 2022 Nepali romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ram Babu Gurung, who co-wrote the screenplay with Upendra Subba. The film, which is the fourth and final installment in the Kabaddi franchise, is produced by Mani Ram Pokharel, Om Chand Rauniyar, Sushma Gurung, Bishal Gurung, and Madhu Mijar under the banners of Baasuri Films in association with Sushma Production Global. It features an ensemble cast of Dayahang Rai, Saugat Malla, Miruna Magar, Buddhi Tamang and Bijay Baral.
Kabbadi 4 had a budget of making it one of the most expensive Nepali films. The film received mixed to positive response from critics with praise directed towards screenplay, performance of Dayahang Rai and Saugat Malla, music, authenticity and direction of Gurung but some critics criticized the film's story to be less gripping as compared to previous films. It became the highest grossing Nepali film in Nepal and second highest-grossing film in Nepal ever, behind Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.
Plot
After years of romantic failures, Kaji has seemingly given up on marriage and resolves to become a Buddhist monk to seek peace and a solitary life. This decision however throws his family into crisis, as his parents are desperate for him to marry and continue the family line. His mother, fearing his father will remarry himself, successfully pressurizes Kaji's two loyal friends, Chhantyal and B.K, to bring him home.Kaji returns and resumes his duty as the school chairman, where a new teacher named Shanti has been appointed. Shanti is outwardly flirtatious and shows a clear interest in Kaji, but he, still heartbroken from his past attempts, consistently brushes off her advances.
The romantic tension escalates with the return of Bam Kaji, Kaji's cousin and perennial rival, who has come back to the village with a master's degree in Mathematics. Bam Kaji, initially planning to return to the city after a few days of stay, instantly falls for Shanti upon seeing her. He quickly manages to secure a job as Math teacher at the same school to be near her, creating a classic love triangle dynamic where Bam Kaji pursues Shanti, but Shanti pursues Kaji.
The narrative shifts when Shanti asks Kaji to accompany her on a trip to her village to visit her mother. Kaji initially refuses but agrees when his mother insists its his duty to ensure the teacher's safe travel. To Kaji's annoyance, Bam Kaji joins the journey, and the romantic rivalry heats up during the long trek. Upon reaching Shanti's village, they are surprised when Shanti's mother assumes Kaji and Shanti are planning to marry, a notion Kaji quickly and awkwardly denies.
The plot comes to a head after Bam Kaji, driven by jealousy and anger over being rejected by Shanti and fired from the job by Kaji, attempts to resolve the rivalry violently. When this fails, he resorts to a more traditional and drastic measure: capture marriage, an archaic custom still practiced in some parts of the culture. Bam Kaji successfully abducts Shanti and brings her to his house for a forced marriage ceremony.
Kaji's father tells him about the incident and blames him for not being man enough to protect Shanti. This desperate act finally triggers a realization in Kaji that he does, in fact, love Shanti. With the help of his friends, Kaji interrupts the ceremony with a clever ruse, a false alarm about a dead body, creating a distraction that allows him to escape with Shanti. A chase ensues, but Bam Kaji is tricked, only catching a glimpse of B.K and Chhantyal in disguise.
The closing scene finds Kaji and Shanti at the lakeside. Shanti expresses her gratitude for his rescue and gently urges him to articulate his feelings for her. Kaji declines the request, believing the truth of his emotions is already obvious to her, rendering any further words redundant.
Cast
- Dayahang Rai as Kaji
- Saugat Malla as Bam Kaji
- Miruna Magar as Shanti
- Buddhi Tamang as Chhantyal
- Bijay Baral as B.K.
- Puskar Gurung as Mukhiya, Kaji's father
- Kabita Ale as Mukhini, Kaji's mother
- Maotse Gurung as Laal Kaji, Bam Kaji's father
- Jayananda Lama as Shanti's uncle
- Gaumaya Gurung as Pampha
- Kamal Mani Nepal as B.K's father
- Prakash Ghimire as School Principal
- Upendra Subba as Jhakri