The white dome of Boudhanath rises like a silent guardian over the chaotic sprawl of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, crowned by a golden spire that pierces the sky.

It’s a mysterious yet oh-so familiar phenomenon on the roads. What makes cars grind to a halt for no apparent reason?

Prem Chopra’s villain image has followed him for nearly sixty years, and it even once confused his own child. The veteran ...