Movie Review: Gunyo Cholo: The Dress

Gunyo Cholo: The Dress
Writers: Samudra Bhatta, Najir Husen, V. Vansay Zanubon
Director: Samudra Bhatta
Starring: Ip Acharya, Nisha Bajhgain, Prasamsha Bhatta
Publisher: Anupheap Productions, Sabsung Studios, Sky Ocean Entertainment
Genre: LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars (10 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dev/Gulabi, the only son of a retired Army General, is disowned for wanting to transition. Fleeing her village for Kathmandu, she finds belonging in the trans community and fights for acceptance in a hostile society.

Acceptance is everything.

I was mesmerized by the early experiences in a rural and sometimes intolerant community that shaped Dev (who later changed her name to Gulabi) into the woman she became. Few things in life are completely harmful or helpful, so I appreciated the quiet, happy moments with the family that were included between scenes that showed how her first explorations of her gender identity were misunderstood and feared.

What the love of a family can look like was another theme that was heavily explored in this film. Whether with biological relatives, chosen relatives, or some combination of the two, everyone has occasional disagreements with the people they consider to be kin along with the happy moments they also shared. There were times when I blinked away tears as Gulabi faced disappointment in these relationships and other scenes where I quietly cheered as she found new ways to balance her responsibilities to both herself and to those she deeply loved.

The ending was ultimately what convinced me to choose a perfect rating. It wove all of the themes together perfectly while also resolving the major conflicts in both realistic and heartwarming ways. Obviously, I can’t go into too much detail about what happens in those scenes, but I wouldn’t have changed a single moment in them. They showcased the personalities of all of the characters nicely and gave this viewer a chance to say goodbye and feel satisfied with what I had just seen.

Gunyo Cholo: The Dress was a beautiful and emotional tale.