Hit Comedy Duo Raju Master and Balchi Durbe Split After Years of Success

KATHMANDU: Television serial actors Raju Paudel, popularly known as “Raju Master,” and Marichman Shrestha, popularly known as “Balchi Dhurbe” have been a veteran television serial couple.They began with the extremely popular comedy serial Meri Bassai, and continued to win the hearts of the audiences by storm with serials Halka Ramailo and Juthe.

The duo gained popularity among the masses and would frequently visit public events and fairs, performing in front of an audience. They worked on a couple of music videos too.
Their long-term collaboration is now coming to an end, though. Their collaborative effort in Halka Ramailo and Juthe in which they co-composed, co-directed, and co-starred in lead roles is now officially coming to an end.

Raju had already exited Halka Ramailo some time ago. Since then, Balchi has continued the series solo, while the two remained active together in Juthe. Raju also launched a new serial titled Sakas. Now, with Raju’s departure from Juthe, the popular duo has officially separated.

In episode 199 of Juthe, which aired Wednesday evening, Raju was noticeably absent. He had previously announced his departure from the series via social media.

Balchi continues with both Halka Ramailo and Juthe, while Raju’s new show Sakas has already aired 87 episodes. Raju has stated that he plans to focus solely on Sakas for the time being.
He explained that the decision to leave Juthe was made through mutual discussion. “When two people work on the same story, the script can feel scattered. Viewers had also been requesting a change in the storyline, saying it was becoming repetitive. So we decided that only one of us should continue,” Raju said.

He added that he wanted to concentrate on one project and make it the best it could be, which is why he left Juthe. “I realized that Sakas needed more of my time and attention, so I’ve decided to focus on it,” he explained.

Balchi also confirmed that the separation was based on mutual understanding. Speaking from a filming location, he said, “As we continued working, we mutually agreed to part ways.”

In Meri Bassai, Raju and Balchi were not only actors but also contributed to writing and directing. Later, they co-created Halka Ramailo, a comedy series, and Juthe, a socially themed show, jointly managing writing, directing, and acting duties. Both series were well-received from the start.

Now, with their collaboration coming to an end, fans and well-wishers are watching with interest as both artists move forward on their individual paths.