Thinley Lhamo

Thinley Lhamo is a Nepali-Tibetan actress who rose to international prominence for her lead performance as Pema in Shambhala (2024), directed by Min Bahadur Bham. A Tibetan refugee, she began her artistic journey with the Nepal Tibet Opera Association, building a foundation in traditional stage performance before training under theatre practitioner Anup Baral.

Shot in the remote Dolpo region of Nepal, Shambhala follows Pema, a woman entering a polyandrous marriage with three brothers whose life unravels when her husband disappears on a trading trip while she is pregnant, sending her on a journey that becomes a search for both him and herself. Filmed entirely in Tibetan, the film made history as the first Nepali film selected for the main competition at the Berlinale, and was later chosen as Nepal's official submission for the 97th Academy Awards.

Lhamo's performance earned widespread critical acclaim — reviewers praised her blend of earthly charm and confidence, and her natural presence within the film's unconventional family dynamic. Her work culminated in a landmark award: at the 77th Locarno Film Festival in August 2024, she won the Boccalino d'Oro Prize for Best Acting Performance, the first such honor not just for Nepal but for all of South Asia.

Reflecting on the win, Lhamo told Nepali Times that she hadn't believed she'd done enough to be called an actor, but that the award gave her the confidence to claim the title. Per ArtistNepal, she previously appeared in the films Naakaa (2017) and Hari (2018) before her breakout role in Shambhala.