Balen Shah was the first choice for the lead role in Santosh Sen’s film ‘Balidan’

KATHMANDU:- Santosh Sen has revealed that Balen Shah was the first choice for the lead role in his film *Balidan*, which failed at the box office. As the film approaches the one-year mark since its release, producer Sen has disclosed this behind-the-scenes detail.

In a recent interview, he revealed that Balen Shah—who was the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City at the time and is now the Prime Minister—was the initial choice for the project. He stated that an offer had even been made to Prime Minister Shah for the character of ‘Abhay’ in the film.

“It was Balen Shah whom I wanted to cast as the lead in *Balidan*,” he said. “I had even offered him the film after sending him the storyline and had conveyed the proposal through Kumar Ben as well. I feel he has a ‘hero look.’ His attitude also exudes a heroic quality—reminiscent of the attitude and charisma of South Indian film heroes. That is why I had envisioned how I would tell the story if he were to star in the film.”

He mentioned that although Balen Shah liked the film’s story, he could not take on the role due to a busy schedule. He said, “At the time, he spoke about the timing. He even suggested casting a professional actor instead of himself. However, I saw a certain ‘heroism’ in him. Whether he is walking or speaking, he possesses the attitude and charisma of a hero. That is precisely why I had offered him the film. It just didn’t work out at the time.”

He recalled predicting that Balen Shah would become Prime Minister even back when the film offer was being made. “I was certain, even during his time as Mayor, that he would become the country’s Prime Minister—and he did. He is doing a good job now. Sometimes, even when working with the right intentions, things may not turn out exactly as expected. However, his intentions are pure,” he said.