Rapper, mayor and now Nepal's next PM? Meet Balen Shah - studied in Karnataka; banned Indian films in Kathmandu

With Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stepping down amid the deadly student-led “Gen Z protests,” attention has shifted to Kathmandu’s young mayor, Balendra Shah, as online campaigns promote him as the Himalayan nation’s next leader. Popularly known as “Balen,” the 35-year-old is a rapper-turned-politician who has served as Kathmandu’s 15th mayor since May 2022. He won as an independent candidate, becoming the first to hold the post without party backing. An engineer by training, Balen holds a degree in civil engineering and has an India connection - he pursued structural engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka.

Before entering politics, he was active in Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene, using his music to highlight corruption and inequality. In June 2023, he drew national attention by banning the screening of Indian films in Kathmandu over a dialogue in the movie Adipurush.Balen's message for Nepali youthIn a Facebook post, Shah appealed to protesters to exercise restraint, noting that their demand for the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and other ministers has already been met.

He cautioned against further damage to public and private property, saying, “The loss of the country’s wealth is, in reality, a loss of our own property. It is now essential that we all act with restraint.” Shah’s appeal comes as nationwide “Gen Z” protests intensify, with young demonstrators demanding accountability over corruption, restrictions on freedoms and police violence. A security forces crackdown has left at least 19 dead and more than 500 injured in clashes around the Federal Parliament and other parts of Kathmandu over the past two days.