Dayahang Rai, known for his uniqueness and outstanding acting skills, began his acting career in 2002 and made his debut as an actor in the film Anagarik in 2006. Dayahang Rai rose to prominence in the industry through television series and has appeared in over 50 films, including Kabaddi, Jatrai Jatra, White Sun, Talakjung Vs Tulke, and several others. So, in this story, we’ll look at the hit movies that Dayahang Rai has appeared in, beginning with a recent film.
Dimag Kharab (2023)
We begin our list with Dimag Kharab, a social drama film directed by Nischal Banseta and starring Dayahang Rai, Khagendra Lamichhane, Swastima Khadka, Arpan Thapa, and Bijay Baral. The film follows Indra (Khagendra Lamichhane) as he is turned down for work abroad due to missing documents, and in order to obtain the visa, he travels to meet the mayor despite numerous obstacles. After all of his efforts, he finally meets the mayor with the help of a friend (Dayahang Rai) and assures him that he will secure votes for the mayor to complete his task.
Dayahang Rai does an excellent job of portraying a colorful and upbeat character in the film, making the audience laugh and smile with his interactions. Supported by an excellent performance by the lead Khagendra Lamichhane, who plays a friend of Dayahang Rai’s character, the film is an enjoyable watch with exceptional cast members such as Swastima Khadka, Dayahnag Rai, Khagendra Lamichhane, Arpan Thapa, and almost all cast members, along with the movie’s captivating story makes it a must-see film made with heart and soul that is sure to entertain Nepali moviegoers.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Dimag Kharab Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Nango Gaun (2023)
The next film is Nango Gaun, directed and written by Dipendra Lama and starring Dayahang Rai, Shishir Bangdel, Rabindra Jha, Kamal Mani Nepal, Miruna Magar, Samragyee Rajya Laxmi Shah, Buddhi Tamang, Karma Shakya, and Ankeet Khadka. In Nango Gaun, People in a small village are tired of Jari Lama, a mean and corrupt politician. They persuade Pasang (Dayahang Rai), a devoted and trustworthy teacher, to join politics and stop Jari. Even though Pasang dislikes politics, he decides to give it a shot with the help of the villagers, hoping to make things better for everyone.
Dayahang Rai delivers another outstanding performance, portraying his character as honest, brave, and dedicated to himself and his responsibilities through an incisive and to-the-point tone and narrative. The film’s highlights include a personality shift when a local politician disrupts Dayahang character’s peaceful learning environment, which, combined with excellent performances by all cast members, makes it an enjoyable watch. The film’s powerful and engaging social and political storyline, combined with the strong message it delivers to its audience, makes it a must-watch.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Nango Gaun Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Jaari (2023)
Dayahang Rai and Miruna Maragr play the leads in Upendra Subba’s directed film Jaari, which also stars Bijay Baral, Prem Subba, Anil Subba, Rekha Limbu, Puskar Gurung, and several others. The film follows the story of Namsang and Hangma, who have been married for over five years and adore each other, but tension arises when Hangma is unable to give birth to a child that Namsang eagerly awaits. Following these events, there is a feud between husband and wife, and Namsang later elopes with another man, causing Hangma and his family to be angry with Namsang.
Dayahang Rai plays Namsang, the family’s only spoiled son who is unconcerned about money due to his father’s wealth. He portrays both the loving husband and the outraged husband with outstanding emotions, expressions, and interactions, making the audience both despise and empathize with the character. Following his outstanding performance, the chemistry with Miruna Magar keeps the audience intrigued and excited throughout the film, and the enthralling presentation and incredible cinematography make Jaari a beautiful film by directorial debutant Upendra Subba.
Box Office Verdict: Blockbuster
Jaari Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Ke Ghar Ke Dera (2022)
Ke Ghar Ke Dera is a comedy film directed by Dipendra K Khanal about two couples portrayed by Dayahnag Rai & Keki Adhikari and Bipin Karki & Barsha Raut, who deal with house ownership and renting that resonates with the people of Kathmandu Valley. One couple dreams of owning a house but is unable to do so because the bank declines their loan request due to falsified documentation. At the same time, another wealthy couple decides to transfer ownership to someone due to disagreements between the two wives of a wealthy man involved in criminal activity. While the man transfers ownership to resolve the issue, their trust is betrayed.
Dayahang Rai plays Sajan Rai, a young, enthusiastic, dedicated, and truthful man of a couple who dreams of owning a home in Kathmandu, but his sports career income makes it difficult to realize the couple’s dream. He portrays the character as a dedicated and truthful character in the first half while assisting another couple with their family issues by owning his house, but everything changes when Sajain Rai and Sanke Dada (man of another couple played by Bipin Karki) become complex and awful after Sajan betrays the bust, taking the audience on an engaging and fun ride with these two characters. Following Bipin and Dayahang’s strong portrayals of the characters, the film becomes interesting with great performances by Surakshya Panta and Barsha Raut, the wives of the two couples, and their plot twist, but it could have been even better if more effort was put into developing a rich character arc, plot, and screenplay.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Ke Ghar Ke Dera Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Kabaddi 4: The Final Match (2022)
The fourth installment of the Kabaddi series, Kabaddi 4: The Final Match, directed by Ram Babu Gurung stars Dayahang Rai, Saugat Malla, and Miruna Magar in the lead roles, continuing the story of Kaji (Dayahang) from its prequel who, after losing hope of marrying, decides to become a monk and live a solitary life, but his family forces him to marry and abandon his foolish decision. He returns home, abandoning his plans to become a monk in favor of continuing his duties as chairman of his school. He hires a new teacher, Shanti, who has feelings for him, but he dismisses her whenever she flirts. Bir Kaji (Saugat Malla), Kaji’s cousin and rival in the prequel Kabaddi Kabaddi, quickly enters the picture as he falls for Shanti.
Dayahang Rai reprises his role as Kaji and promises to engage fans with something new to his character each time, as in Kabaddi 4, he decides to become a monk who falls in love while a teacher working for him (played by Miruna Magar) flirts with him, but he ignores her. With outstanding performances by the leads, Dayahang Rai, Saugat Malla, and Miruna Magar, as well as Ram Babu Gurung, and an excellent storyline, this is a must-see film.
Box Office Verdict: Blockbuster
Kabaddi 4: The Final Match Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi (2019)
The third installment of the Kabaddi series, Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi, directed by Ram Babu Gurung, stars Dayahang Rai, Rishma Gurung, and Upasna Singh Thakuri in lead roles. The movie tells the story of Kaji. Following his unsuccessful attempts to win Maiya’s heart in the film stories of its two prequels, Kaji has grown arrogant and refuses to pursue love, preferring to spend the rest of his life with Maiya’s memories. However, he quickly falls in love with another cousin, Kashi.
Dayahang Rai, who plays Kaji, has become more arrogant despite his two previous roles as a loving and stubborn lover at the start of the film, but his character changes when he falls for another girl but again fails in love, which he portrays to his best ability, entertaining the audience with his character’s comedic and heartfelt love story. Shifting from Kaji’s love for Maiya and being unsuccessful in its prequel, the third installment provides a unique storyline that leads to the character’s behavior change while again falling in love with its intriguing and engaging storyline entertaining the audience, followed by excellent performances, music, and storyline, making it a must-see.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Loot 2 (2017)
Loot 2, the second installment in the loot series, directed by Nischal Basnet, stars Dayahang Rai, Saugat Malla, Karma Shakya, Bipin Karki, Reecha Sharma, Sushil Raj Pandey, and Prateek Raj Neupane. The film continues the story of Haku Kale, who plots against his four members in the prequel “Loot”. The four team members have escaped from prison and want to exact revenge on Haku Kale, who has now become one of the city’s most powerful crime lords.
The film explores character development and dynamics through a combination of lurid realism and fiction. Despite some flaws, the film keeps the audience engaged with strong punchlines, a well-written script, and a blend of romance and comedy. Dayahang Rai plays Gopal Gurung aka Gofley, who wants to exact revenge on Haku Kale, along with three friends and crew members portraying great rage for revenge. The struggle they face along their journey entertains the audience, and the excellent performances by other cast members contribute to the overall quality, making it a worthwhile watch for fans of the original “Loot” and those interested in the growth of Nepali film.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Loot 2 Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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White Sun (Seto Surya) (2016)
Seto Surya aka White Sun, a biographical war drama film directed by Deepak Rauniyar starring Dayahang Rai and Rabindra Singh Baniya in the lead roles. The film tells the story of Chandra (Dayahang), an anti-regime partisan who returns to his mountain village after his father’s death, bringing with him a young street orphan, Badri, who is thought to be his son. The film delves into the complexities of post-civil war Nepal as Chandra deals with family, political tensions, and the difficult journey to cremate his father alongside his political rival brother, Suraj (Rabindra), exposing the persistent societal norms and discriminatory traditions he once fought against.
Dayahang Rai’s excellent portrayal of character emotions, showcasing the challenges and family responsibilities his character faces in his journey in post-civil war Nepal, is the highlight of the film, White Sun, followed by the engaging well-crafted storyline, political and social issues portrayed, insightful commentary on post-war Nepal, and excellent performance by the leads both by Dayahang Rai and Rabindra Singh Baniya, who plays Dayahang’s character rival brother makes it one of the best film of Nepali cinema.
Box Office Verdict: Average
White Sun (Seto Surya) Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Bir Bikram (2016)
Bir Bikram is a romantic comedy film directed by Milan Chams and starring Dayahang Rai, Anoop Bikram Shahi, Deeya Pun, Arpan Thapa, Menuka Pun, and Najir Hussain. The film tells the story of two best friends, Bir and Bikram (Dayahang and Anoop), who are separated during their childhood and later reunite as Bikram attempts to elope with Bir with Joon, but Bir has promised Bikram that he will keep Joon safe for him, causing Bikram to become Bir’s villain in order to unite the lovers while sacrificing friendship.
Bir Bikram provides audiences with a mix of humor, emotion, and action in a story about childhood friends who reunite later in life. Dayahang Rai, Anoop Bikram Shahi, and Arpan Thapa all give excellent performances in the film. The film’s humor, especially as portrayed by Thapa’s character Aaite Kaji, adds a distinct touch. While the film may have flaws in narration and screenplay, the engaging dialogues, fun-filled rhythmic sequences, and chemistry among the cast, particularly the dynamic performances of Dayahang Rai and Arpan Thapa flavored with Anoop Bikram Shahi, make it a worthwhile watch for those looking for a mix of entertainment and emotion in Nepali cinema.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Bir Bikram Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Kabaddi Kabaddi (2015)
We continue our hit list with the second installment of the Kabaddi series, Kabaddi Kabaddi, directed by Ram Babu Gurung, stars Saugat Malla, Dayahang Rai, and Rishma Gurung in the lead roles. The film continues the story of Kaji from the prequel “Kabaddi,” who is an unsatisfied lover of his soulmate Maiya and now has a rival named Bam Kaji who also loves Maiya. To defeat Bam Kaji for his love of Maiya, Kaji takes all necessary actions with the assistance of his friends and family.
Dayahang Rai and Saugat Malla give their all in their roles, engaging and entertaining the audience until the end with one of their best performances in the Loot film. As Dayahang’s character, Kaji, who once failed to impress Maiya, tries again to make her love him in the sequel is troubled by the competition his own cousin Bam Kaji (Saugat Malla) entertaining with great performances battling over a girl with great dialogue, character portrayal, and emotions portrayed followed by great cinematography, engaging plotline, and fun ride of characters’ love journey makes the movie must-see.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Kabaddi Kabaddi Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Kabaddi (2014)
The starting of Kaji’s story with the Kabaddi series first installment film, Kabaddi directed by Ram Babu Gurung starring Dayahang Rai and Rishma Gurung takes the audience a ride of Kaji’s love story. The film portrays the story of Kaji (Dayahang Rai), an uneducated young man living in Mustang who falls for his maternal uncle’s daughter, Maiya (Rishma Gurung), but is repeatedly rejected by her. Soon, a third man enters his love story, trying to elope Maiya in Kathmandu and attempting to exact revenge on Maiya’s father.
With an outstanding character portrayal by Dayahnag Rai of Kaji, who is trapped in the love triangle with Maiya portrayed by Rishma Gurung, and antagonist Bibek portrayed by Nischal Banset, Dayahang Rai excellently portrays the character’s stubbornness of wanting Maiya’s love while struggling to convince Maiya having strong feelings for her and his struggle & battle to win his love from the rival Bibek, as Maiya, has feelings for Bibek, making the film an excellent choice to watch due to its plot twist, engaging storyline, great music, good cinematography, and excellent performances by the leads.
Box Office Verdict: Hit
Kabaddi Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
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Loot (2012)
Ending our list is Nischal Basnet’s epic crime thriller film Loot, which stars Saugat Malla, Dayahang Rai, Karma Shakya, Reech Sharma, Prateek Raj Neupane, Sushil Raj Pandey, Srijana Subba, and Praween Khatiwada. The film follows Haku Kale (Saugat Malla), who plans a bank robbery due to his poverty and recruits other unemployed and criminal crew members. They eventually rob a bank, but the police arrive before they can flee, apprehending the entire group except Haku Kale.
All of the cast members performed admirably in their respective roles, but Dayahang Rai with the character Gofley and Saugat Mala with his iconic character, Haku Kale who constantly feud with each other, gave the best performances of their careers in their roles entertaining the audience throughout the end of the film. The director’s work, the cast’s excellent performances and flawless execution of their respective roles, entertaining dialogues, appealing songs, a unique and never-before-seen storyline when compared to previous Nepali films, the best cinematography revealing hidden spots and alleys around Kathmandu city, and the plot twist all contribute to making this film a must-see and one of the best in Nepali cinema.
Box Office Verdict: Blockbuster
Loot Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5