Veteran Nepali actor Sunil Thapa, best known as Ratey Kaila from ‘Chino’ and for playing Mary Kom’s coach in the Bollywood biopic, has died at 68 after a heart attack. A towering figure across Nepali, Hindi, and Bhojpuri cinema, his passing has left the film industry in deep mourning.
Image Source: IMDb
If you grew up watching Nepali films, you didn’t just watch villains, you ‘felt’ them. And no villain stayed with audiences like Ratey Kaila. That unforgettable character from ‘Chino’ belonged to veteran actor Sunil Thapa, who passed away at the age of 68 leaving Nepali cinema quieter. He is popular amongst Hindi cinegoers as Mary Kom’s coach from the biopic. Thapa died on Friday morning in Kathmandu while receiving treatment at Norvic Hospital, Thapathali, after his health suddenly worsened.
Sunil Thapa began his acting career in Bollywood making his debut with the classic Hindi film ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ in 1981 alongside Kamal Haasan. He followed this with roles in films like ‘Aaj Ki Awaaz’ (1982) and ‘Manav Hatya’ (1986) where he played Police Constable Bajirao Kale.
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During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he appeared in several Hindi films. These included ‘Manu The Great’, ‘Albela’, ‘Naseebwaala’, ‘Bandhu’ where he played an inspector. These roles helped him build solid foundation in Indian cinema.
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In 1989, Sunil Thapa played Ratey Kaila in the Nepali film ‘Chino’. That role changed his life, and the definition of a villain in Nepali films.
Ratey Kaila wasn’t just evil. He was layered, intense, and frighteningly real.
Over the decades, he appeared in more than 300 Nepali films, redefining what a character actor could achieve.
Sunil Thapa acted in more than 300 Nepali films. His notable works include ‘Deuki’, ‘Prabhisha’, ‘Thuldai’, ‘Aago’, ‘Tan Ta Sarai Bigris Ni Badri’, ‘Yo Maya Ko Sagar’ (as Pitambar), ‘Jetho Kancho’ (as Birkhe Saau), ‘Basanta Ritu’ (as Ranveer Singh), ‘Karma Yoodha’ (as Dharanidhar).
Apart from Nepali and Hindi films, he also worked in Tamil, Bhojpuri, and Telugu cinema.
In 2014, Indian audiences noticed him again in ‘Mary Kom’, where he played M. Narjit Singh. The performance earned him a Filmfare Award nomination bringing him recognition beyond Nepal.
His later works included Bhojpuri films like ‘Sarkar Raj’, ‘Border’, ‘Nirahua Chalal London’, ‘Sher-E-Hindustan’, as well as the Telugu film ‘Mirai’ in 2025.
Sunil Thapa also became household name on Nepali television. From 2006 to 2017, he played Sher Singh Mama in popular Nepali TV series ‘Meri Bassai’. This role showed his comic timing and warmth.
Since 2019, he had been appearing in the TV series ‘Dear Jindagi’.
The Facebook page of Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) shared a condolence message on Sunil Thapa’s passing.
Raju Bista, BJP Loksabha MP from Darjeeling, took to X (formerly Twitter) to remember the legendary actor whose acting career was a bridge between Nepali and Indian cinema.
I join the people in condoling the demise of veteran actor Sunil Thapa ji.
A versatile actor, who debuted in Bollywood alongside greats like Kamal Haasan in “Ek Duje Ke Liye”, went onto act in over 300 Nepali, Bhojpuri and Hindi movies.
His acting skills easily transcended… pic.twitter.com/oqISfvfjgo
— Raju Bista (@RajuBistaBJP) February 7, 2026
Many other actors, filmmakers, fans are also remembering Sunil Thapa by revisiting and sharing tributes to his iconic roles.
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