In a remote Saurashtra village, nine-year-old Samay trades his lunch to a projectionist for a seat in the light of a rundown single-screen cinema. Enchanted by how stories turn into film, he and his friends scheme to build a projector of their own, chasing a life in the movies.
Chhello Show, known abroad as Last Film Show, is Pan Nalin's love letter to the movies and the film that carried Gujarati cinema to the Oscar shortlist. In a remote Saurashtra village, nine-year-old Samay trades his lunch to a projectionist for a seat in the light, falls under the spell of how stories become film, and schemes with his friends to build a projector of his own.
It is often read as an Indian cousin to Cinema Paradiso, and the comparison fits. Swapnil Sonawane's cinematography is the headline, luminous enough that critics called it visually intoxicating, and child actor Bhavin Rabari carries the wonder so completely that he won the National Award for Best Child Artist. It holds a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and drew four-star reviews from NDTV and India Today.
Not everyone was won over. A few critics, including The Indian Express and Firstpost, found the gaze too pretty and the story slender, faulting an exoticised view of village life. Both readings can be true. Watch it for the images, the ode to dying single-screen cinemas, and a child's uncomplicated hunger for the movies.
Verdict
A luminous ode to the movies that took Gujarati cinema to the Oscar shortlist. Slender for some, but the images and the boy stay with you.
What works
- Luminous, award-worthy cinematography
- Bhavin Rabari's National Award turn
- A heartfelt ode to celluloid cinema
- Oscar-shortlisted international reach
What holds it back
- Some found the story slender
- A gaze critics called too pretty
- Slow, mood-first pacing
- Thin secondary characters
Cast & crew
Writers: Pan Nalin
Music: Cyril Morin
Cast: Bhavin Rabari (Samay), Bhavesh Shrimali (Fazal), Richa Meena (Baa), Dipen Raval (Bapuji), Rahul Koli (Manu)
Producers: Pan Nalin, Dheer Momaya, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Marc Duale
Watch the trailer
More Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Chhello Show worth watching?
A luminous ode to the movies that took Gujarati cinema to the Oscar shortlist. Slender for some, but the images and the boy stay with you. Kevu Che rates it 4 out of 5.
What is Chhello Show about?
In a remote Saurashtra village, nine-year-old Samay trades his lunch to a projectionist for a seat in the light of a rundown single-screen cinema. Enchanted by how stories turn into film, he and his friends scheme to build a projector of their own, chasing a life in the movies.
What is the IMDb rating of Chhello Show?
Chhello Show (2021) holds an IMDb rating of 7.4 out of 10.