When it comes to the list of very respected and influential journalists of Nepal, Vijay Kumar Pandey, Rabi Lamichhane, Narayan Wagle, Rishi Dhamala and more are very popular. And Bidhya Chapagain is no exception from the list. She is very well-known as the former presenter of “Sajha Sawal”, a weekly debate show produced by BBC Media Action in Nepal. And now is the co-founder and presenter of the web-based series “Herne Katha.” Herne Katha and Bidhya Chapagain, are the most perfect duo. To find the extraordinary in the ordinary, all you require is a good intent, a little hard work, and that daring heart proves Bidhya Chapagain.
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Quick-peak on Bidhya Chapagain Biography
| Name | Bidhya Chapagain |
| Birth Date | August 23, 1982 |
| Birth Place | Gothatar, Kathmandu |
| Age | 38 years old (as of 2021) |
| Height | 5 feet 3 inches |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ratna Rajya Campus |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Profession | Journalist TV Presenter |
| Recognitions | Presenter of “Sajha Sawal” Presenter of “Herne Katha” हेर्ने कथा |
| Awards | “Best Documentary Award” and, “Best Non-fiction” in Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF 2018) |
Bidhya Chapagain’s Personal Life
Bidhya Chapagain was born on August 23 of the year 1982. She has a brother named Mahesh, who wrote bylines in newspapers. He is also a reason, Bidhya wanted to become involved in journalism. Her parents were said to be farmers. She is married and has a child. But she hasn’t disclosed much about her family’s information. Hence, in detail information about “Bidhya Chapagain’s family” and “who is Bidhya Chapagain married to” is unknown.
As a kid, Bidhya grew up helping her parents on their farm. She used to listen to the radio and also read newspapers in her school library. And these resources had a great impact on young Bidhya. She must have realized the power of media, how a small article and strong voice can change people’s life. That made her dream of choosing journalism as her career path.
Her mother had been married at the young age of 13. This is why her mother always supported her to be well-educated. Besides her mother, her family is a great source of inspiration and support in her career path.
Bidhya Chapagain’s Career
Bidhya Chapagain: TV presenter at Sajha Sawal
Talking about Bidhya Chapagain’s education, she did journalism from Ratna Rajya Campus, affiliated with Tribhuwan University. While studying, she used to send articles for national newspapers such as Gorkhapatra and Yuwa Manch. And after completion of her bachelors, she applied for the presenter job for Sajha Sawal. In July 2014, she became the first female host of BBC’s Sajha Sawal.
She got quite the recognition from the show. Her portrait as the host of the show is very admirable. Having interviewed the high professionals including the President, former Prime Ministers, sitting Ministers to Politicians, and more, she served as a mediator between people and the government. As a presenter, she played a vital role in bringing up people’s queries up to the authorities and find answers in relation to them. Through the show, she grew into the hearts of the audiences. Not just the presenter but she was also one of the producers of the show “Sajha Sawal.”
During her time in Sajha Sawal, she had visited many places around Nepal. There she encountered many untold stories that needed a voice. Her job was giving her good fame and money but she felt by the heart that something was always missing. She shared her feelings with her colleague Kamal Kumar and he even had the same viewpoint. Hence, in January of 2018, they quit the show together. And that gave Bidhya an opportunity to continue with her own style of Journalism.
Herne Katha हेर्ने कथा: Untold Stories of Ordinary People
Herne Katha has a very simple concept; “Herne” as some you watch and “Katha” as stories. After quitting Sajha Sawal, Bidhya co-founded the Herne Katha web series. The program revolves around giving visual life to the lives around Nepal. A viewer has even mentioned that they watch Herne Katha understand Nepal. In a nutshell, the stories in the series are non-fictional and shown in a very organic manner.
Herne Katha shows us the people’s hardships, struggles, progressiveness, way of living and infinite content from around Nepal. The show has been connecting people despite the geographical, linguistic or any barriers. A viewer of the show from mountains might directly-indirectly relate to the story of terai. The lost stories are getting light and people are getting attached to Herne Katha.
The growing crowd of supporters of Herne Katha is what inspires the team of the show to keep going. Bidhya Chapagain had risked all her career for connecting with the people and she takes it as the best decision she has made. She says, “The satisfaction that Herne Katha provides is like nothing else.”
The new episodes of Herne Katha are published every 1st and 15th of the month. The show has partnered with Kantipur television and Kantipur TV broadcasts Herne Katha every Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Besides, you can watch the show on its official website and official YouTube Channel.
Herne Katha: Awarded
The very first video for Herne Katha was published on March 1, 2018. The Katha titled ‘Euta School ko Katha‘ has over 288K views on YouTube. The series Herne Katha had 58 episodes until now.
Bidhya Chapagain with her co-founder Kamal Kumar won two awards for one of the Herne Katha episodes. At the 2019 Independent Short Awards, they won Best Documentary Short for ‘The Man Who Died’ and the Best Non-fiction at the 2018 Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival for the same film. The episode Premiered on YouTube on Mar 2, 2021.
Herne Katha (हेर्ने कथा) Social Links
Official Website: Herne Katha
YouTube: Herne Katha
Instagram: Herne Katha
Facebook: Herne Katha
Twitter: @hernekatha
Bidhya Chapagain Social Links
LinkedIn: Bidhya Chapagain
Instagram: @cbidhya
Facebook: Bidhya Chapagain
Twitter: @cbidhya
I am her Huge fan. After reading this blog a different kind of beautiful motivation has arised within. :):):)
Loved every word written about her here.