Shubu Thapa

FROM ISSUE # 171 (March 2010) | IN THIS ISSUE
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1PM, 19 December, 2009
Phoenix Studios

A little further down the road from Bagdol chowk, Shubu Thapa, her producer Sanzip Rai and her manager Jiggy are closely scrutinising each and every comment posted on her youtube video like officers at an airport security booth. "How can people be so insensitive?" Shubu is mildly irked. Others follow her suit.

It has just been two weeks since the video Eka Desh Ko was released under Phoenix studio's official youtube channel. And the response has been phenomenal. No other Nepali video before had garnered such hits and comments.

"The production value seems great" read one comment. Shubu lights up instantly and talks about how fun the shoot was and how the video was shot entirely on the rooftop of the studio building. "Is this really a Nepali video?" another post questioned, others read "You go girl!" While many viewers gave Shubu an instant liking and their support, an equally big group of people were just as vocal with their cynicism. Shubu even made it to the gossip column of an entertainment portal for something about being a 'clone'.

"I don't want to prove anything to anyone. I love music. It's not even about being a failure or a success. I just don't want to have any regrets later thinking 'what if'," says Shubu, a graduate in Economics currently working with various international development aid agencies.

Krypto comes dashing in. "He's harmless," Shubu cuddles the big furry thing. Its funny how humbly docile this fluffly beast can get. "He's in the video too. You remember?" Shubu exclaims. She loves animals, it shows. So much so, that it made her record her first ever single Timi Man Parcha for AnimalNepal.org's fund-raising album Rock n' Bark, back in 2004.

There are many things about Shubu that seem a bit eccentric. She wears underground boots, she does not look Nepali, her music is on the pop-y side and for someone who has never met her, she seems like a conceited person, someone who's head is too big. But Shubu is a revelation. Behind the seemingly borrowed facade lies a young Nepali girl rooted to the core.

The studio is relatively action-less for one where recording is in full swing. As a caution, the studios are now equipped with Macs. "We lost all our recordings because of a virus infection on our earlier PCs," says Sanzip.

The talks with various record labels has left Shubu stumped with their grand conditions and terms, something every budding artist must go through. "But we will strike a deal sooner or later," says Shubu, "the album will be ready in a few months."

12PM, 23 February, 2010
WAVE's office

Shubu is late for her cover shoot. The traffic is standstill with Singhadurbar gherao so we agree to do the cover shoot at WAVE's office in the outskirts of Lalitpur, as opposed to earlier, in our city studio. 

Shubu finally arrives with a flushed face. She hasn't slept all night due to professional commitment. A text message at odd hours has become a regular affair now. "Some fan set up a fan page for me and I was not aware of it until a request to join came to me," says Shubu with in-discernible modesty.
We all decide on the pink dress. The tutu fits perfectly on Shubu's tiny frame. Anup dai fires the speedlight with a couple of test shots and instructs her to adjust her position in favour of the lighting.

Shubu shows uncanny energy for someone who hasn't slept all night, but that is characteristic of her. Producer Sanzip Rai suggests a few poses. "Take out the jacket," he instructs. Shubu playfully teases the camera in comfort of a seasoned pro model. A few hundred clicks in various positions and we're DONE.

(Shubu is in the final stage of talks with various record labels. Eka Desh Ko Kathaa will be out in a few months.)

Malin Gurung