Pan Nalin’s semi-autobiographical Gujarati film is artistically stunning.
Those of us who enjoy movies frequently recall when and where we first saw our favorite flicks. Something about the way the movie made us feel, or the crowd with whom we saw it, has left an indelible imprint on our memories.
Pan Nalin‘s semi-autobiographical Gujarati movie Chhello Show (Last Film Show) captures that essence in the story of Samay (Bhavin Rabari), a young man who discovers his life’s love through cinema. A family excursion to Galaxy, a single-screen cinema, introduces Samay to the wonders of the big screen, and the nine-year-old is hooked.
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The rebellious Samay returns to try to see movies for free after skipping schoolwork and abandoning family obligations but is quickly booted out. He befriends the nice projectionist Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali), who allows him to view films from the projection booth in exchange for his tiffin, which Samay’s mother fills with love and Gujarati delicacies (Richa Meena).
The scenes in which she prepares these meals are extremely entertaining to watch.
Soon, Samay is learning the craft as an assistant and working out how to build his own projection booth and theatre. The tiny child is already a storyteller, telling stories to his best friends’ fathers, all of whom work at the train station where Samay’s father also works.
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The group of six traipses over the Kathiawadi terrain, creating their own small movie arthouse in an abandoned building, where they make their own projector out of garbage and discarded materials. The youngsters resort to snatching reels from packed boxes housed at the train station before being distributed to wholesalers throughout Gujarat.
However, as they revel in their newfound bliss, the world around them changes. Set in 2010, film-reel cinematic technology is on the decline as the transition to digital is fast approaching. The news has a great impact on both Fazal and Samay, who must re-evaluate their future lives despite their love of cinema.
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Samay’s father (Dipen Raval) has his own reckoning after falling on hard times and believing that the world of cinema is inappropriate for an upper-caste guy like himself.
Bhavin Rabari, making his debut, is a natural. He immediately captivates the viewer as he falls in love with the film, entranced by the light and dark that comprise the visuals on the screen. The final loss of innocence in Samay is tragic.
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Shrimali is delightful as the projectionist who has seen it all but is gracious enough to offer his wisdom. Samay’s group, who assists him in all of his misadventures, is hilarious.
The actual hero of Chhello Show, though, is Swapnil S Sonawane’s cinematography, which conveys youthful nostalgia and a love of movies in every shot. Any cinephile would be devastated by the long protracted episode in which a film projector and reels are carried away and meet their untimely demise.
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The film also reminded me of Amit Madheshiya and Shirley Abraham’s award-winning documentary The Cinema Travellers (2018), which likewise addressed the transition from reel to digital in portions.
While the ending is a little abrupt and uneven, Pan closes his film on an optimistic note, giving homage to all the great directors who have inspired many film fans throughout the world, from Satyajit Ray to David Lean.
His adoration for the art, as well as his exploration of his past, radiates through this highly intimate film, which will have you recalling the times you fell in love with cinema as well.
image credit: stirworld
Chhello Show (Last Film Show) was the opening gala feature of the 20th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, which took place from April 28 to May 1, as well as the opening film at the 3rd International Gujarati Film Festival, which took place from May 20 to 22.
