0
Shares
Kathmandu — The final rites of veteran Nepali actor Sunil Thapa, who passed away on Saturday due to a heart attack, were performed on Sunday afternoon at Pashupati Aryaghat following Hindu rituals. His son Anmol Thapa lit the funeral pyre.
Prior to the cremation, Tourism Minister Anil Kumar Sinha paid tribute by draping the national flag over Thapa’s body, honoring his contribution to Nepali cinema.
After post-mortem procedures at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, Thapa’s body was kept at the Film Development Board office in Chabahil for final tributes. Artists, filmmakers, politicians, and well-wishers gathered to pay their respects. At around 2 PM, the body was taken to Pashupati Aryaghat in a flower-decorated vehicle.
Thapa collapsed at his Shankhamul apartment on Saturday morning and was rushed to Norvic Hospital, Thapathali, where he breathed his last during treatment. He was 68 years old and is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. His family, who reside in Mumbai, arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday evening.
Popularly known as “Rate Kaila,” Thapa acted in over 150 films during his illustrious career. He began his acting journey with the Hindi film “Saheb Bahadur,” while “Masal” was his first Nepali film. He gained widespread recognition from Tulsi Ghimire’s “Chino” and was last seen in the film “Eklo,” released on December 2 (Poush 17).
Tributes have poured in from both Nepali and Indian film personalities. Actress Priyanka Chopra, who worked with Thapa in Mary Kom, shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, thanking him for supporting her during challenging times. Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee also expressed deep sorrow over Thapa’s demise.
