# Upasana Singh Thakuri

Upasana Singh Thakuri (Nepali: उपासना सिंह ठकुरी) is a Nepalese actress. One of Nepal's new generation actresses, she has a distinct style of acting and ability to connect with her character in the movies.

## Early life

Upasana Singh Thakuri was born on 20 September 1998.

## Career

In 2019, Thakuri made her acting debut in Diwakar Bhattarai's sports drama Captain, co-starring Anmol K.C., produced under Bhuwan K.C. and Jiya K.C’s studio, Super Kajal Films. Her portrayal received mixed reviews from critics. While she was acknowledged for playing her role well, some critics noted a challenge in expressing a range of emotions within the story. For her performance, she was nominated for the Best Debut Actor (Female) award from the Dcine Awards and the NEFTA Film Awards. These nominations affirmed her effective portrayal of characters and her impact on the Nepali cinema industry, setting her apart as a talented newcomer.
Thakuri's career took an upward turn the same year with her role in Ram Babu Gurung's romantic comedy Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi. The film set the record for the highest-grossing opening of a film in Nepal. Her performance in the film was widely praised, one critic wrote: "In comparison to her previous role in Captain, Thakuri has improved a lot. In the movie, she is put in different emotional situations, but she skillfully and realistically reflects them in her facial expression, gesture and dialogues". Continuing her promising trajectory, Thakuri signed on for Pravin Jha's "December Falls" in 2021, co-starring with Aaryan Sigdel. Beyond comedy, this role further demonstrated her acting versatility and capability to adapt to different genres. The same year, she was honored the National Navdurga Award for her dedication and contribution to the Nepali cinema, alongside nine other esteemed actresses.
In 2022, she starred in “Dui Nambari” alongside Dayahang Rai and Saugat Malla. The movie was directed by Dipendra Lama. The movie was a commercial hit at the box office.
In 2024, Thakuri had two film releases. She reunited with Dayahang Rai and Saugat Malla for the comedy social drama “Hattichhap” which released on Feb 2024.
Later in the year, Thakuri starred opposite Dhiraj Magar in the titular role in “Khusma”, directed by an internationally acclaimed documentary director, Ashok Thapa Magar. The film is based on a love story set during the Nepalese Civil War. Thakuri felt responsible towards the project because it is about real events, and went to meet the locals of Maikot village in Rukum district as a preparation for her role. She confessed being emotional several times during the workshop while going through the scenes hearing about the hardship throughout the conflict. With an interesting storyline, the fresh pair gave a layered and emotional performance that amplified the word-of-mouth publicity. The duo's onscreen chemistry has been regarded as the best in the industry. The film has garnered high critical acclaim, and several commentators considered Thakuri's performance to be her best to date. The movie was already considered successful before the release due to the trailer and songs trending at no.1 on YouTube. The song ‘Rukum Maikot’ from the movie became the first Nepali movie song to trend globally on YouTube, staying at the top of Nepal’s music section trending list for more than two weeks. Along with the song’s popularity, movie has also benefited commercially.

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Role |
| 2019 | Captain | Shreya |
| 2019 | Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi | Kasi |
| 2022 | December Falls | Sadikshya |
| 2022 | Dui Nambari | Balika |
| 2024 | Hattichhap | Laxmi |
| 2024 | Khusma | Khusma |
| TBA | K Ghar K Dera : Ghar No. 2 | TBA |
| TBA | Karma | TBA |

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
| 2019 | Dcine Award | Best Debut Actor (Female) | Captain | Nominated |
| 2019 | NEFTA Film Award | Best Debut Actor (Female) | Captain | Nominated |
| 2021 | National Navdurga Award | None | None | Honoured |