Award-winning filmmaker Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film, “Last Film Show” (“Chhello Show”), which opened at the Spotlight section of Tribeca Film Festival, will be the first piece of Gujarati cinema to find overseas release in the post-pandemic world.
As India celebrated Holi March 18, the film, produced by Jugaad Motion Pictures and Monsoon Films, has its first theatrical release – in Spain. This Indo-French co-production, which is represented by French giants, UGC and Orange Studio, has already earned accolades at international film festivals such as Tribeca, Seminci, and Mill Valley, among others.
“Last Film Show” is an ode to the magic of cinema, told through the eyes of a young boy in a remote village in Saurashtra in Gujarat.
Speaking of the film, Pan Nalin, best known for his films, “Samsara”, “Angry Indian Goddesses” and “Valley of Flowers,” says, “When we were making the film, we didn’t realize that the world would go this way. The film celebrates the big-screen experience of going to cinema halls and watching a film with family and friends, which is irreplaceable.
According to Dheer Momaya, the co-founder of Jugaad Motion Pictures, and the producer of the film, “The disappearance of India’s single-screen culture and 35mm celluloid film largely forms the backdrop of ‘Last Film Show.’ The film is released at a time when the film industry globally is witnessing the death of the 35mm format. The new formats have opened doors for storytellers, and films like Last Film Show have the potential to connect with audiences globally, breaking all language barriers.”
Loosely based on the experiences of Nalin, who was born in a small village in the Amreli district of Gujarat, “Last Film Show” tells the story of a young boy who begins a lifelong love affair with cinema when he bribes his way into a rundown movie palace and spends a summer watching movies from the projection booth.
The main characters in the film are Bhavin Rabari (as Samay), Bhavesh Shrimali (as Fazal, the projectionist at the Galaxy Cinema), Richa Meena (as Baa, Samay’s mother), Dipen Raval (as Bapuji Samay’s father), Paresh Mehta (the Galaxy Cinema manager), Vikas Bata (as Nano), Rahul Koli (as Manu), Shoban Makwa (as Badshah), Kishan Parmar (as S.T.), Vijay Mer (as Tiku), Alpesh Tank (as teacher Mr. Dave), and Tia Sebastien (as Leela Mila).
When the magic of movies conquers nine-year young Samay’s heart, he moves heaven and earth in pursuit of his 35mm dreams unaware of heartbreaking times that await him. Watch out for this masterpiece from writer-director Pan Nalin.
