Gujarati film “Chhello Show” is India’s official entry at the 2023 Oscars

Chhello Show, a low-budget Gujarati drama, knocked over well-known Hindi and southern language films to become India’s official entry for the international film category of the Academy Awards on Tuesday, putting all rumours to rest. It won the award over SS Rajamouli’s historical epic RRR and political drama The Kashmir Files, all of which were expected to compete.

The movie won’t be qualified for the award until it appears on the list of nominees. On Tuesday, the film’s director, Pan Nalin, tweeted: OMG! What a night this going to be! Gratitude to the Film Federation of India and thank you FFI jury members. Thank you for believing in Chhello Show. Now I can breathe again and believe in cinema that entertains, inspires and enlightens!” He concluded his message with the hashtag #Oscars.

The Gujarati movie is set to hit theatres on October 14, 2022. Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval, and Paresh Mehta play key parts in Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show, which is named the Last Film Show in English.

On March 12, 2023, the 95th Oscars will be held at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The general entry categories for the 2023 Academy Awards must be submitted by November 15 to be considered. The preliminary voting will start on December 12 and end with the announcement of the shortlists on December 21.

Filmmaker Nalin has received recognition for a number of critically regarded works. His Hindi and Japanese-language motion picture Valley of Flowers won the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles’ best picture prize in 2006, while Faith Connections, an official selection at the Toronto Film Festival in 2013 and winner of the festival’s Audience Choice Award in 2014, was also produced by him. He is known to Hindi-speaking audiences for his feminist story Angry Indian Goddesses, which won the Audience Award at the Rome Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award First-Runner-Up at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, as well as being nominated for 2016 All Lights India International Film Festival.

In the past several years, India has submitted the following films for the Oscars: Koozhangal, Jallikattu, Gully Boy, Village Rockstars, Newton, and Visaranani, all of which were not selected for the Oscar shortlist. Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988), and Lagaan (2001) are the only Indian movies that have received Oscar nominations so far.