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Chhello Show director Pan Nalin on comparisons to Cinema Paradiso: ‘I have paid homage….’

Pan Nalin's Chhello Show had received flak for being a 'copy' of the film Cinema Paradiso.

By: Entertainment Desk
New Delhi | September 27, 2022 07:09 PM IST

2 min read

A still from Chhello Show. (PR Handout)

Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film Chhello Show (The Last Film Show), much to the dismay of many, was selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) as India’s official entry for the 95th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film Category. The popular contenders were SS Rajamouli’s period drama RRR and The Kashmir Files. Moreover, Chhello Show also received flak for being a ‘copy’ of the film Cinema Paradiso.

During a brief visit to Hyderabad for a screening of Chhello Show hosted by actor-producer Lakshmi Manchu, Nalin opened up about the comparisons to Cinema Paradiso. Talking to The Hindu, he said, “I have made a film that is rooted in Kathiawar, with some of the actors from the region. Any film about cinema can have parallels to Cinema Paradiso, which is one of my favourite films. Consciously and subconsciously, I have paid homage to Cinema Paradiso and several other films. An ardent cinephile would be able to identify some of the Easter eggs in the narrative.”

Also Read | Chhello Show director Nalin Pan reacts after film’s selection as India’s entry for Oscars 2023: ‘Now I can breathe again and believe in cinema…’

The Gujarati movie, which will hit theatres on October 14, 2022, is set against the backdrop of cinemas in India that saw the transition from celluloid to digital, where hundreds of single-screen cinemas stand dilapidated or have disappeared altogether.

Chhello Show had its world premiere as the opening film at Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival. It won the Golden Spike at the 66th Valladolid Film Festival in Spain.

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