Kathmandu, June 9 -- Trishna Budhathoki has never acted in a movie nor has she been actively covered by mainstream media. Yet people know her. They talk about her, even make fun of her, and follow her religiously on social media, particularly TikTok. She's part of the growing culture of new-age internet celebrities in Nepal, but she's made her mark very differently from the rest of the herd.

A former model, singer, and dancer, Budhathoki's social media posts are deemed 'unacceptable' or 'ostentatious' by many. And she is well aware of this fact. Why then does she continue posting such content? They are vehicles of self-expression for me, she says. "I upload videos because making videos makes me happy. When I see people having a fun time ...