Special 'Doctor Strange' screening for Nepal crew

Marvel Studios is holding a special screening of "Doctor Strange" for the Nepal crew members who worked on the Benedict Cumberbatch starrer superhero film.

The actor and his team had shot extensively in Kathmandu for the film, and as a special thank you, a screening will be held on Thursday at Kumari Cinemas in Kathmandu, Nepal, read a statement.

Helmed by Scott Derrickson, "Doctor Strange" narrates the journey of an arrogant neurosurgeon Stephen Strange to transforming into a powerful sorcerer. It will hit the screens in India on Friday, the same day as its North American release.

"I've been doing it for a while now and every time you go on location, you see things that you didn't imagine that spark new ideas. In this case, the most surprising scout that we did was Kathmandu, Nepal," Derrickson said.

He added: "I've been all over the world, but there's no place on the planet like Kathmandu. It is a city with almost no western influence in it. It is a large city that is so deeply mystical and religious in all operations, and in a most peaceful, beautiful, colourful way. The visual qualities of that city are unlike anyplace else."

The "Sherlock" star said kicking off the shoot in Nepal was an important aspect of the film.

"Kathmandu was absolutely vital to this film, I think not least because it's so based in something that is exotic. It was a magical way to start the shoot.

"It's important to a film like this, which has a profound gearshift into a spiritual and otherworldly dimension, that the portal for that be in a place that actually happens, in itself, regardless of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to be incredibly spiritual and marvellous," Cumberbatch said.

The first scene of principal photography was shot in Pashupati, home to Pashupatinath Temple, a famous Hindu temple on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu. There were 300 extras, made up of locals and tourists, along with cows and dogs. The production had an audience of curious locals as well as the many families of wild monkeys that freely roam Nepal.

--IANS

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