17.01.1980 (44 gadi) (Kathmandu, Nepal)
Nischal Basnet (Nepali: निश्चल बस्नेत) is a Nepalese director, writer, actor and playback singer who predominantly works in Nepali cinema. Considered as one of the best directors 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 became a "cult classic" and the highest grossing Nepali film ever which revived the condition of fate of Nepali film at the box office and changed the way Nepali films were made. 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.