Ever since it has been announced that not RRR but the Last Film Show is India’s official entry to the Oscars, I was curious to watch the film. When I entered the theatre, before the film started, I was thinking about it in comparison to SS Rajamouli’s movie. However, after watching the initial 10 minutes of the film, I figured that Pan Nalin’s movie cannot be compared with RRR. No, not because one is better than the other one but because the two films are very different and cannot be looked at with the same lens.
Chhello Show or Last Film Show stars Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval and Paresh Mehta in key roles. It is a coming-of-age drama which is set in Gujarat, where Nalin was raised. The film revolves around a nine-year-old boy named Samay, who is inspired by cinema and wants to be a filmmaker. The movie depicts his struggles and journey of taking a step toward his dream.
The film is a masterpiece. To begin with, it is visually beautiful. From life in a village to nature and wildlife surrounding it, Samay’s mother cooking meals for him to his father selling tea at a railway station, the film is an art. And mind you, the makers are not presenting beauty with artificial or material elements. Rather, they make us wonder that with time, we are compromising on the natural beauty surrounding us. The Last Film Show is a visual spectacule. Pat on the cinematographer and videographer’s back!
Another point that one must notice while watching the film is that there are no unnecessary dialogues. There’s silence and calm in the film. There are moments when nobody is speaking for even 30 seconds or more, but you do not wish to fast-forward it, rather, you enjoy the beauty of it.
Last Film Show is not just an art film, it is a science movie too. In several instances in the movie, you’ll notice how children are trying to decode how a projector inside a movie hall works. When they figure out how to create a visual, they work on the sound. When they miss a train, they create their own jugaad. Pan Nalin’s movie also revolves around children understanding the science that goes behind the filmmaking process.
The lead character Samay is played by eight-year-old Bhavin Rabari. He is outstanding in the movie. Whether it is his confidence on screen or his expressions, he has done it all with utmost ease. He is smart, clever, vulnerable and even helpless at times. But at all these moments, Bhavin has done his job in the best way possible.
However, what is a little problematic in the movie is its timeline. It is said that Pan Nalin’s movie is semi-autobiographical. This makes you believe that the person on whom the film is made is around 52 years old today. Now, the boy in the film is 9 years old and is watching Jodha Akbar in 2008, as and when it was released. If the boy was 9 years old in 2008, he is hardly 23 years old today. Even though math like this does not matter, when you are watching the film, it acts as a disconnect. Maybe, Nailn should have set the movie also in the 1970s or 80s.
What one must not miss in the movie are the repeated references to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan’s 2008 movie Jodha Akbar. Besides Jodha Akbar, there are scenes from other iconic movies too. Watch to know why!
Overall, Last Film Show is definitely worth watching. Even if you do not know Gujarati, worry not, visit a theatre and you’ll surely enjoy it.
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