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Indian filmmaker Nidhi Saxena has wrapped production and unveiled a first look for “Secrets of a Mountain Serpent,” her sophomore feature that will world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The project was selected and funded by Venice’s Biennale College Cinema program and awarded a €200,000 production grant. “Hotel Salvation” (2016) was the last Indian film to be funded by the initiative. “Cactus Pears,” which was developed at the 2022-23 Biennale College Cinema program, went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance earlier this year.

“Secrets of a Mountain Serpent,” which completed principal photography in the mystical landscapes of Uttarakhand, India, explores the lives of women left behind in a remote hill town during the aftermath of war, drawing from an ancient local legend about a snake deity waiting for a promised bride.

“This film lives in the silences,” Saxena says. “In the way a breath lingers.

The well-known saying, “if you love someone, set them free,” takes on deeper significance in Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show. This film serves as a heartfelt tribute to celluloid as a living, breathing entity. The character portrayed by actress Richa Meena embodies not just nurturing but also the recognition that she must allow her child to find his own path to happiness—a challenging task to self-impose when your child is not even in the double digits in age. Meena’s character takes on the role of cooking with meticulous and purposeful care, reflecting her artistic nature. It becomes evident that her son, Samay, is an extension of her very purpose for being.…...

The winners of the 69th National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Center in New Delhi on Thursday. The ceremony will be held at a future date. The awards are for the 2021-22 period and the majority of awards were shared among “Rrr”, “Gangubai Kathiawadi” and “Chhelo Show” (aka “Last Film Show”)

Best Feature Film: Rocketry

Best Director: Nikhil Mahajan, Godavari

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Rrr

Film Review: Rrr (2022) by S. S. Rajamouli

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: The Kashmir Files

Best Actor: Allu Arjun, Pushpa

Best Actress: Alia Bhatt, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon, Mimi

Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi, Mimi

Best Supporting Actress: Pallavi Joshi, The Kashmir Files

Best Child Artist: Bhavin Rabari, Chhello Show

Interview With Pan Nalin, Richa Meena and Bhavesh Shrimali: When We Make Cinema, the Most Important Qualities Are Sound and Light

Best Screenplay (Original): Shahi Kabir,...

Indian filmmaker Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film ‘Chhello Show’ or ‘Last Film Show’ lost out in the 95th Oscar Awards race as it did not make it to the final nominations. ‘Chhello Show’ was selected as India’s official entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards, but in the final nomination list, it lost to ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (Germany), ‘Argentina, 1985’ (Argentina), ‘Close’ (Belgium), ‘Eo’ (Poland) and ‘The Quiet Girl’ (Ireland).

Directed by Pan Nalin, ‘Chhello Show’ is a Gujarati-language coming-of-age drama about a nine-year-old boy, Samay (Bhavin Rabari), who’s ensnared by the magic of cinema and sets forth to fulfil his 35mm celluloid dreams.

It stars Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval and Paresh Mehta. The film had premiered at the 20th Tribeca Film Festival in June 2021 and was theatrically released in India in October 2022.

As was the tendency in the last years, South Indian films continued to dominate the box office in 2022, with “Rrr” and “Vikram” being some of the highlights, and the former actually getting international recognition, as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu highlights. In another international success for Indian cinema, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” was shortlisted for the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category, while Pan Nalin documentary “All That Breathes” won the Grand Jury Prize in World Cinema Documentary Competition in Sundance, before it was also shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature for the 95th Academy Awards. If you add to all these the fact that local movies seem to find more space in international festivals, it seems that finally Indian movies are getting the recognition they deserve. The feat can be attributed to both an “opening” from the West towards...

Pan Nalin is a writer, director, and producer of narrative and non-fiction films. He is best known for directing award-winning works, such as “Samsara” (2001), winner of awards at AFI Fest and Melbourne International Film Festival; the documentary “Ayurveda: Art of Being” (2001); and “Valley of Flowers” (2006).

Richa Meena started her career in 2012, when she faced the camera for the first time as an extra in a movie shot in Rajasthan. She was spotted by a few filmmakers from Nat Geo Traveller. After a few rounds of audition, she bagged the role of Mumtaz Mahal in Secrets of the Taj Mahal. Richa then moved to Mumbai and worked in films like Shoojit Sircar’s Running Shaadi that starred Taapsee Pannu, Mardaani 2 with Rani Mukerji and several short films that toured national and international film festivals. Though the young actress has been in the industry for about a decade, the fame is finally...

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Samay, the 9-year-old spitfire at the center of Last Film Show, is a pintsize wheeler-dealer, a wily old soul and a bit of a mechanical genius. As in another recently arrived film, The Fabelmans, this young protagonist’s obsession with the big screen begins with a family trip to the local theater (Spielberg’s name is one of many in the pantheon that writer-director Pan Nalin invokes at the beginning and end of his feature). But for rural kid Samay, owning his very own camera is not an option as it is for suburbanite Sammy Fabelman. With impressive ingenuity, he finds another way to make movies.

Set in 2010, as the art of 35mm projection is about to be made obsolete by the advent of digital, India’s official submission to the Academy Awards is a kid’s-eye-view story that never condescends. Alive with movie love,...

At some point in our lives, whether as small children or as budding young adults, we all have that one movie that not just inspires us, but truly showcases to us the wonder and magic of film. Whether it’s a massive blockbuster or a small indie film, whether it be in front of the biggest screen in the theater or in the comfort of someone’s own home, there will always be that moment when a movie just “gets” someone. There will always be a movie or movies that speak to someone internally, and while not everyone will be inspired to make films of their own, they will always undergo some sort of internal transformation because of their experience with film, and I don’t think anyone understands that better than the lead protagonist of the film, Last Film Show.

Last Film Show is a 2021 Indian Gujarati-language coming-of-age drama film directed by Pan Nalin.

Last Film Show (Chhello Show)

Written and Directed by Pan Nalin

Watching this near-flawless fable of a film-fixated boy from a town in Gujarat a second time, I thought of how close the magic of moviemaking and the wondrous appeal of movie viewing are brought in Pan Nalin’s film.

First things first, Chhello Show bears no resemblance to the Italian film Cinema Paradiso, apart from the kinship of cinema and food that grows between our 9-year protagonist Samay (Bhavin Rabari) and the projectionist Fazal (Bhavesh Srimali) of a dilapidated single theatre which has seen better days.

Samay has not seen any better days than these. He has just discovered the magic of cinema in the rickety projection room of Galaxy cinema in a godforsaken backwater town called Chalala. The Gujarati town is sure to acquire a touristic fame after this film.

Everything and everyone associated with this bitter-sweet ode...

Ahead of its much-awaited theatrical release across India, the makers of India’s Official Entry to the Oscars Last Film Show (Chhello Show) hosted a star-studded premiere of the film in Mumbai.

The event witnessed a turn-out of the biggest names in Bollywood who unanimously appreciated the film. Once the screening ended, the celebrities were so moved by director Pan Nalin’s cinematic gem that they gave it a standing ovation which went on for long, long time!

Personalities like Deepika Padukone, Kiara Advani, Vidya Balan, Mira Nair, Aditya Roy Kapur, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Sunny Kaushal, Sarvari Wagh, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Babil Khan, Kirti Kulhari, Rasika Dugal, Jaaved Jaaferi, Prateik Babbar, Aparshakti Khurana, Vikramaditya Motwane, Nikkhil Advani, Chitrangada Singh, Ramesh Taurani, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Mahima Makwana, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, Anushka Ranjan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Ranveer Allahbadia, Parmeet Sethi, Rajat Barmecha, Namit Das, Mayur Puri, Amrita Puri, Pashmina Roshan, Rohit Saraf,...

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announces Gujarati film ‘The Last Film Show’ (Chhello Show) as India’s official entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 95th Academy Awards.

The film stars Bhavin Rabari, Vikas Bata, Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval and Rahul Koli, and is produced by Roy Kapur Films, Jugaad Motion Pictures, Monsoon Films and Chhello Show Llp.

Ever since this film was selected, there has been buzz throughout the country, packed with people ready to watch it on a big screen. Everyone has expressed their admiration for the entire team and their support for the film. Within 24 hours of the release of its trailer,the entire film industry come out in support of the film and sent their wishes for the Oscars.

Having captured the hearts of critics and audiences across the world, Last Film Show (Chhello Show) will release in theatres in Gujarat...

Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show, produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Nalin, Dheer Momaya and Mark Duale, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Oscar race.

The Gujarati-language Last Film Show (Chhello Show) is a semi-autobiographical drama that pays homage to the cinema of the past — a reminder of childhood innocence and the universal magic of the movies.

Starring Bhavin Rabari, Vikas Bata, Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval and Rahul Koli, the story is set against the backdrop of cinemas in India witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital. Samay (Rabari) and his pals hitch a ride on the train that passes their remote village and find their way to a rundown movie theater that offers all the entertainment their little hearts desire. When his friends get escorted out after sneaking in without paying, Samay bribes the hungry projectionist with the home-cooked...

Here is some exciting news! Gujarati film Last Film Show (Chhello Show), produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Pan Nalin, Dheer Momaya and Mark Duale, is India’s official entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 95th Academy Awards.

Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show (Chhello Show) is set against the backdrop of cinemas in India witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital, where hundreds of single-screen cinemas stand dilapidated or have disappeared altogether. The movie is a part-autobiographical drama that captures the charm of the western region of Gujarat while paying homage to the cinema of the past. It is a reminder of childhood innocence and the universal magic of the movies.

The film stars Bhavin Rabari, Vikas Bata, Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval and Rahul Koli.

Director Pan Nalin says,”I could have never imagined such a day would come and bring light and celebration of light.

Gujarati film ‘Last Film Show’ (Chhello Show) is India’s official entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 95th Academy Awards. Pan Nalin is best known for directing award-winning and visually striking films such as ‘Samsara’, ‘Valley of Flowers’, ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’ and ‘Ayurveda: Art of Being’. Last Film Show (Chhello Show) is a part-autobiographical drama that captures the charm of the western region of Gujarat while paying homage to the cinema of the past. It is a reminder of childhood innocence and the universal magic of the movies.

The film stars Bhavin Rabari, Vikas Bata, Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval and Rahul Koli. The story is set against the backdrop of cinemas in India witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital, where hundreds of single-screen cinemas stand dilapidated or have disappeared altogether.

Last Film Show (Chhello Show) had its world premiere as the opening...

Last Film Show Review — Last Film Show (2021) Video Movie Review, a movie directed by Pan Nalin, and starring Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Rahul Koli, Richa Meena, Shoban Makwa, Vikas Bata, Dipen Raval, Kishan Parmar, Vijay Mer, and Tia Sebastian. Crew M.B. Traven, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani wrote the screenplay for the film. Tom [...]

Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Last Film Show (2021): A Tribute to the Old School 35mm Form of Storytelling...

Last Film Show Review — Last Film Show (2021) Film Review, from the 20th Annual Tribeca Film Festival, a movie directed by Pan Nalin, and starring Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Rahul Koli, Richa Meena, Shoban Makwa, Vikas Bata, Dipen Raval, Kishan Parmar, Vijay Mer, and Tia Sebastian. Director Pan Nalin’s powerful new movie is a [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Last Film Show: A Haunting Tribute to the Power of Film [Tribeca 2021]...

Samay (Bhavin Rabari) gives his food to projectionist Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali) in Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show: “Yes, they’re all my mother’s [Hanasa] recipes and they are also local recipes you find in that region. They are all historically vegetarian, and even today.”

When I spoke with Tribeca Film Festival Artistic Director Frédéric Boyer from Paris on the line-up for the 20th anniversary edition, he highly recommended Last Film Show (Chhello Show). Pan Nalin bookends his very personal film with the gratitude he feels to cinema history by naming the Lumière brothers, Eadweard Muybridge, David Lean, Stanley Kubrick and Andrei Tarkovsky before the opening credits and ends with a highly imaginative tribute to the colour palates of filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Michelangelo Antonioni, Maya Deren, Jean-Luc Godard, Alfred Hitchcock, Yasujiro Ozu, and Martin Scorsese to name just a few.

Pan Nalin with Anne-Katrin Titze on Stanley Kubrick:...

The world premiere of Pan Nalin’s “The Last Film Show” (Chhello Show), which opens the Tribeca Film Festival’s Spotlight section, promises to be a welcome return to a big-screen cinema experience after a year blighted by Covid-19.

The partly autobiographical drama takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “The Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.

The film follows nine-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He passionately falls in love with films against his father’s wish. Samay strikes a deal with Fazal, the projectionist, who will let him watch movies for free in exchange for eating the contents of his lunchbox. Their...

Kasaai movie review is here. Directed by Gajendra Shanker Shrotriya and produced by Harbinger Creations, Kasaai features Mita Vashisht, Ravi Jhankal, Richa Meena and Mayur More in pivotal roles. Kasaai will be streaming on ShemarooMe Box Office from 23rd of October.

Kasaai story

Based on a short story by Charan Singh Pathik, Kasaai is set in rural Rajasthan. It’s the story of a mother Gulabi (Mita Vasisht) and her struggles to get justice for her son Suraj (Mayur More). In a shocking incident, Suraj gets killed under unusual circumstances as the family tries to cover up the crime in the backdrop of impending village council elections.

Kasaai movie review

Kasaai (rough translation: butcher) begins with a young man wrapped in a shawl shivering and later at night, the same man who seems to be ill struggling to enter a house. The mystically haunting past present format, raw, dark and...

Mardaani 2 movie review is here. The action thriller is a sequel to the 2014 film Mardaani and features Rani Mukerji reprising her role of Inspector Shivani Roy. Vishal Jethwa plays the antagonist. Directed by Gopi Puthran, the movie produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films is released today ? December 13, 2019. Does it fulfills the expectations?. Find out in the movie review of Mardaani 2

Immediate reaction when the end credits roll

Mardaani 2 ?this terrifically gripping, gritty, well etched and masterly performed cinema is the need of the hour. Rani Mukerji while on her way to a hat ?trick ? Mardaani, Hitchki, MARDAANI2 sets an example on how to stay relevant in the film industry by doing solo heroine oriented subjects without a male ?hero?.

The Story of Mardaani 2

The sequel to the 2014 Mardaani, top cop Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) is up against a brutal, merciless serial rapist/killer Sunny...