Samragyee Rajya Laxmi Shah

Samragyee Rajya Laxmi Shah(born 18 November 1995) is an Nepali film actress. She goes professionally by the name Samragyee RL Shah and has become one of the topmost figures in the Nepali cinema world. Over the years, she has earned a lot of fame and won one NFDC National Film Award and one NEFTA Film Award, which describes her power within the industry and popularity with the masses.

She has starred in several successful Nepali films such as A Mero Hajur 2 (2017), Intu Mintu Londonma (2018), and Rato Tika Nidharma (2019). She began her career with the 2016 romantic drama film Dreams, which was a box office success and launched her as a leading actress. Her on-screen performance also earned her several awards, which made her one of the leading actresses in the early stages of her career. Aside from being an actress, Samragyee is also well-known for being of royal blood, as she was connected to the former royal family of Nepal.

She was born to Neha Rajya Laxmi Shah and Bikash Bikram Shah in Birgunj, Nepal. Her royal lineage comes from her grandfather Pashupati Bikram Shah. As per Anand Nepal, a blogger at the blog Nepali Actress, Samragyee is a lineage of Narendra Bikram Shah, the younger son of King Surendra Bir Bikram Shah. Narendra’s son, Indra Bikram Shah, was the cousin of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, who ascended to the throne at the tender age of seven when Surendra passed away in 1881. After Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, the throne was passed on to his son, King Tribhuvan, who played a key role in bringing a close to Rana reign in Nepal. Tribhuvan’s son, Mahendra, was the father of the recently deposed King Gyanendra Shah. This family tie directly relates Samragyee to Nepal’s past monarchy.

Education-wise, Shah began school at St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School in Birgunj, where she studied grades one to three. She then moved to New Delhi, India, and continued her studies at Sai Baba School. After finishing sixth grade, she returned to Kathmandu and attended the Royal Academy of India, where she continued studying.

At personal level, Samragyee is in relationship with Devanksh SJB Rana from 2018. Her popularity and influence in Nepal were recognized in 2017 when Kantipur Saptahik published her name on the “Top 10 Women and Men of the Year” list, ranking her tenth.

Shah began her professional career as a model in 2014. She was the second runner-up of the Face of Classic Diamond Jewellers fashion show and received a cash prize worth NPR 25,000. The winner of the event was model Asmi Shrestha, and the first runner-up was model and actress Paramita RL Rana. By this exposure, she stepped into the spotlight. Subsequent to her participation in the competition, she became the cover model for M&S VMAG magazine, sharing with everyone her aspirations of becoming a model. She continued that her experience during the competition made her more confident, more beautiful, and motivated her to work harder. It also provided her with some hands-on experience and spotlight, and it is a good starting point for her to enter show business.

Her acting debut was in 2016 when she starred in Dreams, a romantic drama film by Bhuwan K.C. Shah co-starred with Anmol K.C. and played Aveer’s love interest, Kavya. The character was selected out of 26 girls. The film did not receive many positive critiques, with The Himalayan Times stating that both Anmol and Samragyee failed to deliver natural performances in dramatic scenes. But Shah’s performance in other informal contexts was fine. In spite of the criticism, the film was a blockbuster at the box office, earning NPR 17 million in two days and NPR 50 million in a week. The film’s producer, Bhuwan K.C., claimed she had “won the heart of 3 crore Nepali people” with her debut film. She received numerous awards for her acting, including Best Debut Actor from Dcine Awards, Kamana Film Awards, NFDC National Film Awards, and NEFTA Film Awards.

She appeared in A Mero Hajur 2 in 2017, which was the directorial debut of Jharana Thapa. Samragyee played the character of Maya, who marries a man who had a crush on her when they were children. Her co-stars included Salon Basnet and debutant Salin Man Bania. The film broke records since it earned NPR 16.2 million in one day, a record high for a Nepali film then. Sandhya Ghimire’s review of OnlineKhabar appreciated the film for the nostalgic school crushes and also noted how it made everyone think of their youth. Shah was nominated for her second National Film Award for her acting.

She had four releases in 2018. She was a psychiatrist in a cameo role in Mangalam. In Shishir Rana’s Timi Sanga, she played a Non-Resident Nepali. Although the film was panned for stereotyping the LGBTIQ community, Shah’s performance was hailed as a plus point. OnlineKhabar reviewer Shashwat Pant wrote that she looked confident and improved in emotional scenes compared to her debut.

She also appeared in Kaira with actor Aaryan Sigdel. The film failed to be a commercial hit, earning only NPR 9.6 million on the second day of its release, and received mixed receptions from critics. However, Shah’s acting was mentioned in a positive light. OnlineKhabar critics said that her performance was emotionally credible and that she was calmer and natural than previous films.

The other major film of 2018 was Intu Mintu Londonma, directed by choreographer Renasha Bantawa Rai. Shah performed the role of Mintu, who secretly falls in love with her friend Intu. Her performance met mixed reviews again as some reviewers made the impression that she played repeats but were in consideration of the fact that her emotional range enhanced. The costume and production of the film itself were praised, but it was argued that it lacked a good story. But it won at the box office as well, with NPR 20 million within its second day. She won the Star of the Year award at the FAAN Awards on 30th March 2018 by then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. She was awarded, along with actor Pradeep Khadka.

In 2019, Shah acted in Maruni, which featured Puspa Khadka and Rebika Gurung. The title track, “Jaam Na Maya Jaam,” was released in June. It was released on 30 August 2019, the same day as the Indian film Saaho. Critics praised Shah for trying a different type of role, but the film did not do well at the box office.

Later in the year, she was also seen in Rato Tika Nidharma, which was directed by Ashok Sharma. For this film, she was paid NPR 1.6 million and became the highest-paid actress in Nepali cinema. She shared the lead with Neeta Dhungana and Ankit Sharma, who was making his debut. Actress Jassita Gurung was first selected for the lead but left the project, and Samragyee stepped in. The film was scheduled to be released on 27 September 2019, during the Dashain festival. Unfortunately, the film earned low revenues, totaling around NPR 7 million.