All About ‘Chhello Show’, India’s Entry For Oscars 2023

There were many speculations and some unofficial confirmations that RRR or Kashmiri Files is going to be India’s official entry to the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars 2023. But, the speculations stayed the same, while the Gujarati film ‘Last Film Show’ the English translation of ‘Chhello Show’ came up as the official entry. So, what is the ‘Chhello Show’, and why the Film Federation of India has chosen this film for Oscars entry?

Directed by Pan Nalin, Chhello Show stars Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval, and Paresh Mehta. Chhello is a semi-autobiographical Gujarati drama.

Chhello Show is a coming-of-age drama film that shows a nine-year-old Samay entering a cinema hall projection booth by bribing a cinema projector technician and watching several films through summer.

Director Pan Nalin said in a statement, ‘I could have never imagined such a day would come and bring light and celebration of light. Chhello Show has been enjoying love from around the world but there was an ache in my heart how do I make India discover it? Now I can breathe again and believe in cinema that entertains, inspires, and enlightens! Thank you FFI, Thank you Jury.’

Nalin earlier directed films Samsara, Valley of Flowers, and Angry Indian Goddesses.

Chhello Show is set for release on October 14, 2022. It was already premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2021. In October 2021, Chhello Show won the Golden Spike at the 66th Valladolid International Film Festival.