Saugat Malla

Saugat Malla is a popular Nepalese actor and producer, regarded as one of the most talented and versatile actors of our time in Nepali film industry. Saugat Malla was born in the village of Nadawa in Nawalparasi district, Lumbini Province, Nepal. He belongs to a Malla Thakuri clan that historically had been connected to the Kingdom of Dhurkot, presently Gulmi District. His childhood upbringing was done by his parents, Nina Malla and Bir Bahadur Malla, in Parasi Bazar, where he spent most of his formative years. His early education was in Adarsh Madhyamik Bidhyalaya in Parasi. The cultural and traditional climate of his early childhood days in the Terai region of Nepal had a deep impact on his sense of art.He began his acting career in a professional manner in 2008, though initially, he was involved in performance art in the theater. He became popular and well-recognized for his performance as the cunning and ambitious gangster chief, Haku Kale, in the blockbuster film Loot (2012), which was a cultural phenomenon in Nepal. The performance boosted him to stardom and made him a frontrunner in Nepali cinema. His body of work includes a variety of genres and award-winning films such as Kagbeni (2007), Mukhauta (2014), Sadanga (2015), Soongava: Dance of the Orchids (2012), Lappan Chhappan (2017), Kabaddi Kabaddi (2015), Fateko Jutta (2017), Kabaddi 4: The Final Match (2022), Agastya: Chapter 1 (2024), and *The Red Suitcase (2024).

Malla began his acting life in theatre at Aarohan Gurukul, Nepal’s first drama school. There, he performed several of highly acclaimed stage roles such as Oedipus Rex and Agni Ko Katha, which were held at Gurukul Theater. His debut film was Kagbeni, which came out in 2008, directed by Bhusan Dahal, where he acted along with Deeya Maskey, Nima Rumba, and Hanif Mohammed. Although Kagbeni gained a mention, Malla’s breakout appearance was not until 2012 in Loot, which was directed by Nischal Basnet. His portrayal of Haku Kale, the tough crime brainchild, was well-appreciated and earned him a permanent spot among Nepal’s top actors. He further developed his career with roles in Soongava: Dance of the Orchids (2012), Kathaa (2013), Sourya (2013), Badhshala (2013), Shree 5 Ambare (2014), Utsav (2014), Mukhauta (2014), and Sadanga (2015).

Malla achieved immense financial success from 2015. His role in the romantic-comedy Kabaddi Kabaddi (2015), which was directed by Ram Babu Gurung, was another turning point in his life. In the film, he played the role of Bam Kaji, who is a young man who returns to his village and falls in love and initiates a love triangle that struck big among Nepali fans. It was a role that further solidified him as a leading actor in the industry with commercial and critical popularity. He continued to feature in films such as Dying Candle (2016) and Fanko (2016), though the films received mixed responses at the box office. In 2017, he once again played his character Haku Kale in Loot 2. Though the film could not surpass the success of the first part, he was still appreciated for his acting. In the same year, he was also spotted in Fateko Jutta alongside Priyanka Karki, and although the movie was not a financial success, their on-screen chemistry was enjoyed. He appeared in romantic films like Jhyanakuti (2017), which performed well, and Mero Paisa Khoi (2017), which failed due to strong competition.

Besides films, Malla had also been seen in the web reality show Artists Support Programme—Fashion Artist Edition in 2018, which brought out another side of his artistic personality.