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Kabaddi 5: The "Final Match" Is Over, So Why Is Kaji Back?

Kabaddi 5 - After the Final Match

When Kabaddi 4 came out with "The Final Match" in its title, fans took it as goodbye. Kaji had finally found love and the Naurikot saga felt complete. Now Kabaddi 5: After the Final Match is coming, and everyone is asking the same thing: why go back?

Theory 1: The money

Hard to argue with. Kabaddi 4 was a massive hit, grossing about Rs 213.8 million, the highest earnings in Nepali cinema history at the time. It was first sold as the last film, but the huge popularity of the Dayahang-Miruna pairing pushed the producers to announce a fifth. When a franchise has never lost, walking away is hard.

Theory 2: Dayahang's comeback

This is the juicier one. Dayahang Rai is seen as one of the most successful actors of recent years, but in 2082 BS none of his films, including his lead role in Jaari 2, did well commercially. In a year when most of the 56 Nepali films released failed to recover their investment, going back to Kaji, the role that made him, looks like the safest bet in the industry.

But it's not a lazy cash grab

  • The writers: Ram Babu Gurung and Upendra Subba aren't rookies cashing in. They won the National Film Award for best writers for the original Kabaddi, which was also named best film.
  • The director: Gurung created this world, and he has said the new film picks up the story from the previous installment. It's a continuation, not a reboot.
  • The fresh angle: The teaser shows B.K. (Bijay Baral) connected to AI, with Bipin Karki's dialogue delivery stealing attention and Rishma Gurung arriving at the end. AI in Naurikot? That's new.
  • The lead: Since the very first film, critics said Rai made Kaji his own, mixing swagger with tragic vulnerability, and that nobody could have played the role better.

So which is it?

Probably both. Cash and career don't have to cancel each other out. The real question is whether Kaji has one more good match left in him.

Kabaddi 5 - After the Final Match | Releasing 6 Kartik 2083 (23 October 2026)

Money or a comeback? Tell us what you think.

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