Is Ram Babu Gurung Building a ‘Kabaddi Universe’ Like Hollywood?

KATHMANDU- When the fourth instalment of the blockbuster ‘Kabaddi’ franchise was titled ‘The Final Match’, many viewers assumed that Kaji’s story had reached its end. But for director Ram Babu Gurung, the character’s journey was far from over.

The fifth instalment, ‘Kabaddi 5: After the Final Match’, picks up where the previous film left off, shifting the focus from Kaji’s romantic pursuits to the realities of his life beyond love.

The story of Kaji’s romance began in 2014 and unfolded across four films. Gurung says the fourth instalment was designed to close a particular chapter in Kaji’s new love life, hence the title The Final Match. However, the audience response after its release encouraged the filmmakers to revisit the characters and explore what came next.

“We had developed the story of the fourth film with the intention of closing the brief excitement of Kaji’s new love life under the concept of ‘The Final Match’,” Gurung said. “After the fourth instalment was released, audiences liked it very much. That encouraged the producers not only commercially but in other ways as well.”

Although one chapter of Kaji’s romantic life had ended, Gurung believed there was more to explore about his practical, everyday life. Discussions about a fifth instalment followed, and actor Dayahang Rai also expressed interest in continuing the journey.

“The audience’s encouragement led us to think about exploring Kaji’s practical side. We discussed the fifth instalment and I consulted Dayahang. When he said, ‘If you’re doing it, let’s do it,’ I immediately started writing,” Gurung said.

He stressed that there was no compulsion to make another film. Positive audience reactions provided encouragement, but the decision also grew out of the characters’ maturity, accumulated experiences and the desire to take their stories forward.

Characters growing alongside their audience

By the fifth instalment, Gurung believes Kabaddi has developed a distinct world of its own. Viewers who have followed the characters since the first film have watched them grow, while the characters’ experiences have increasingly reflected the society around them.

“From the first to the fifth film, the characters have developed their own world. The same characters have been winning audiences, and they have been growing alongside them,” he said.
Gurung says the new film places greater emphasis on the characters’ psychology, age and experiences rather than relying primarily on jokes, punchlines and comic situations, elements that helped define the earlier instalments.

“We are not focusing only on those things now. We have paid more attention to the characters’ state of mind and how they respond according to their age and experiences,” he said.
The characters have changed with time, and Gurung considers that evolution natural. Even when a familiar character returns, their behaviour and reactions may differ because of what they have experienced.

Mustang has changed, too

The changing lives of the characters are mirrored by changes in the landscape where the franchise was filmed.

Gurung said many of the houses, narrow lanes and roads seen in the earlier films in Mustang have changed significantly. Traditional mud houses and stone-covered pathways have increasingly given way to concrete structures and paved roads.

“The houses in the places where we initially filmed have changed with urbanisation. Concrete houses have been built,” he said, adding that much of the road network above Ghasa, apart from the Pilpile area he mentioned, has now been paved.

Changes in roofing, household fuel use and village infrastructure have also altered the appearance and lifestyle of the communities. These transformations have influenced the visual environment of the film series.

Writing the fifth screenplay was relatively more familiar because Gurung had worked with the same characters for years. Their personalities and narrative directions were already established. But he acknowledged that audience expectations had risen after the fourth film.

“Working on any screenplay comes with challenges. But it feels as if I have been working on the same screenplay from the first film until now, because the characters have already developed and their paths are clear,” he said.

“After the fourth film, expectations for the fifth have increased, so there is pressure to address them.”

Despite taking Kaji’s story into a more practical phase of life, the new film retains the relationships and emotional connections that audiences associate with the franchise. Gurung said viewers could again experience some of the nostalgia surrounding Kaji and Maiya, whose relationship was central to the first two films.

He added that Kaji has made sacrifices in his love life, practical life and relationship with society.

From B.K.’s AI connection to Bam Kaji’s mystery

One of the new elements in Kabaddi 5 is a connection between the character B.K. and artificial intelligence, a glimpse of which appears in the film’s teaser.

Gurung said the idea did not originate from a plan to incorporate advances in AI. Rather, it emerged naturally as he developed B.K., a character portrayed as clever, crafty and instinctively receptive to technology.

“When we initially wrote the story, we did not imagine that AI would develop this way. B.K. has always been somewhat crafty and clever, and has a tendency to be technology-friendly, knowingly or unknowingly. The connection emerged as we developed the character,” he said.

Gurung also hinted at new layers involving B.K., Chhantyal and matters related to Kaji’s marriage.

Actor Bipin Karki will play Bam Kaji, but the director declined to reveal which character’s life Bam Kaji is connected to.

He also hinted at the possibility of the franchise’s traditional Kabaddi contests evolving into a larger showdown involving all the characters. Gurung referred to the four soltinis connected to Kaji’s life but withheld further details. The song Thak Khola, however, features three of them.

Could the franchise become a ‘Kabaddi Universe’?

With five instalments and an expanding network of characters, the franchise has developed a world that extends beyond a single romantic storyline.

Gurung’s comments about potentially bringing the characters together in a larger showdown point to further possibilities for the series. However, he did not confirm a formal plan to establish a cinematic universe modelled on Hollywood franchises.

For now, Kabaddi 5 remains focused on Kaji’s evolving life and the relationships that have kept audiences invested in the characters over the years.

Box-office expectations

Despite the commercial records set by previous instalments, Gurung said he does not feel that Kabaddi 5 must necessarily establish a new box-office record.

He acknowledged feeling some nervousness as the release approaches, particularly because other sequel films are also scheduled for the Dashain period. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in the franchise’s established audience.

The film is presented by Bansuri Films, with investment from Gurung, Maniram Pokharel, Madhu Mijar and Bishal Gurung (LG). Sagar Raj is the executive producer.

The main cast includes Dayahang Rai, Bijay Baral, Buddhi Tamang, Bipin Karki, Miruna Magar, Sirjana Gurung and Rishma Gurung. The supporting cast includes Pushkar Gurung, Maotse Gurung, Kamalmani Nepal, Kabita Ale, Aruna Karki, Shishir Bangdel, Bishnu Moktan, Pramila Rai, Suraj Yadav, Ramesh Bajracharya, Hari Mijar, Pancha Subba Gurung, Ghanu Joshi, Sumitra Pehim, Anup Neupane, Madhu Mijar, Hemanta Budhathoki, Bikram Shrestha, Saroj Aryal and Shekhar Chapagain.

Venkatesh Entertainment and T Fallk will distribute the film in Nepal, while Seven Sees International will handle international distribution.

The music is by Kaliprasad Baskota, Adha Sur and Jhuma Limbu. Sanjay Lama is the cinematographer, Surendra Poudel is the editor, and Somnath Khanal and Taranath Neupane are the chief assistant directors.