Come Over for a Drink, Kanchhi: On Communal Histories of Alcohol

There is a sense of playfulness as the documentary Come Over For A Drink, Kanchhi (2020), directed, filmed, and edited by Sikuma Rai, comes to an end that belies the heavy and sensitive issues explored in it. “You have to carefully throw out the lukewarm water… and then you add large cardamoms… green cardamoms, cumin seeds, black pepper and honey. That is for the millet liquor and you sip it slowly at night. [Then] you’ll see a whole new world,” says Amrit Kumari Rai as her laughter mixes with that of the director against the cheerful yet rueful background score.

The 26-minute-long film, which first premiered in 2020, has been showcased at different festivals and events throughout the years. It was screened most recently on 28 July 2023 at Patan House by photo.circle. The film was premised on a personal motive—Sikuma Rai, in her 2020 article in The Record, wrote that she intended to investigate the correlation between the Rai communities’ close ties with alcohol and the offensive stereotype associated with them as a “backward” community. The film presents a nuanced portrayal of economic, social, cultural and religious factors that contribute to alcohol dependence in Nepali communities, especially those living precariously on the razor’s edge of poverty.

In the film, Rai journeys back to her father’s hometown—Sikteltar, situated in the district of Bhojpur, Nepal—where she converses with women from the Rai community. She observed their way of life to uncover their history and relationship with alcohol. The film employs an approach that is different from the “fly-on-the-wall” style and this becomes apparent right off the bat. It begins with a woman sharing the historical importance of alcohol in Kirat culture and then addresses the filmmaker as “bhadaini” (niece). The director’s familial ties with the women is, in many ways, the film’s biggest strength. Throughout the film, Rai introduces each character using familial terms: Nini (aunty), Muma (grandma), and Nana (sister). 

The closeness and intimacy of family relationships with the women in the film afford Rai the advantage of interacting with her interviewees without any apparent awkwardness or distance. The women candidly reminisce, delve into their personal histories, share their sorrows and laugh away their fortunes and misfortunes. They prepare alcohol and encourage Rai to join them in drinking as they converse. As a result, the interviews feel deeply intimate, to the extent that one might feel as if one is eavesdropping on or intruding into late-night dinner conversations. 

A 2018 research report that investigated the prevalence and correlation of alcohol consumption in Chitwan, Nepal, found that the probability of drinking was substantially higher for women who used tobacco, screened positive for depression, or had suicidal ideation. It then recommended a qualitative research endeavour to explore this hypothesis. The film showcases the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism in the face of immense personal grief and loss, even when the women are well aware of the consequences and impact of alcohol dependence. Amrit shares how she started drinking alcohol after a flood destroyed her cardamom fields and how she struggled to raise money for her children’s living and education expenses. In another instance, Tasbir recalls the deaths of her children and in-laws from diseases and suicide respectively. She then says, “I have gone through so much, kanchhi. I cannot deal with it… There is a big hole in my heart. I do not eat. I just drink 2-3 bowls of rice wine. That is it.” 

Moreover, the necessity of brewing and consuming alcohol due to financial constraints is interwoven throughout the film. The women, with ages ranging from twenties to their sixties, plough and till fields under the sweltering heat. The older women comment that drinking alcohol gives them energy and helps them “do what they need to do.” Brewing and selling alcohol is also one of the few avenues of earning money, as there is limited access to the market to sell produce, while the waste products from brewing alcohol can be used as feed for pigs. 

There is also a cultural and religious license for women to brew and consume alcohol. Alcohol—such as Kodoko jaanr (millet wine), Umma (rice wine) and Arakkha (a general term for alcohol)—is used as offerings for gods, as gifts for newlywed brides and grooms, and as an essential part of social gatherings. For a wedding in the village, Amrit prepares a bottle of alcohol as a gift for the bride and groom. During the celebration, women can be seen happily drinking alcohol, sharing their grief, and singing and dancing to songs of longing and marital life. However, the film also illuminates the negative impacts of alcohol use between the lines. Rita stopped brewing and selling alcohol as it would always lead to incidents between patrons, while Pabitra cannot stop drinking alcohol in fear of extreme withdrawal symptoms. 

While the film leans heavily on its characters and their interviews to drive the story forward, the many characters and relatively short duration of the film work against it. At times, it spreads itself too thin, alternating between different characters before one has had ample time on the screen to leave their impact. For better or worse, almost every interviewee is larger than life, begging to have their story told in more detail. As the film closes, one is left with a profound sense of sadness and respect for the women. In the end, life can be unbearable for many reasons, and for many people, alcohol can be the only—albeit destructive in itself—escape. 

To read more about the representations of the lived experiences of women in Nepal, revisit Sukanya Deb’s essay on Nepal Picture Library’s Feminist Memory Project and Najrin Islam’s essay on Bunu Dhungana’s practice. To read more about films exploring substance use, read Sukanya Deb’s reflection on Ronny Sen’s Catsticks and Shranup Tandukar’s piece on Pooja Gurung and Bibhushan Basnet’s work.   

All images from Come Over For A Drink, Kanchhi (2020) by Sikuma Rai. Images courtesy of the director.