Deepak Rauniyar (born Aug 29, 1978) is a visionary filmmaker who has played a pivotal role in placing Nepali cinema on the global map through his unflinching, socially conscious storytelling. Shifting away from traditional commercial formulas, he gained international prominence with his 2012 film Highway that marked a turning point, becoming the first Nepali film to screen at the Berlin International Film Festival. His follow-up masterpiece, White Sun (Seto Surya) (2016), further solidified his reputation, earning critical acclaim at Venice, Toronto, and the New Directors/New Films festival. This film, which explores the lingering scars of the Nepali Civil War through a familial lens, was also Nepal’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards.