Chhello Show trailer: A boy is transformed by the magic of cinema

Young Samay (Bhavin Rabari) helps his father sell tea by the railway tracks, but his mind is elsewhere. The little boy is transfixed after watching a film with his family and finds himself sneaking away to bribe the projectionist Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali) with homemade food for a chance to see those films again.

Heart of Chhello Show is the jugaadu spirit, says filmmaker Pan Nalin

Pan Nalin’s semi-autobiographical film revolves around Samay and his ragtag group of friends who help him make his own projector after his beloved theatre closes down. Chhello Show, or Last Film Show, is set in Gujarat and beautifully filmed by Swapnil S Sonawane.

Chhello Show revolves around Samay’s conflict as he finds himself obsessed by the medium and wants to tell stories himself. An unknown voice tells him, "Ah badho khel varto no chhe. Bhavishna badha maliko varta garo chhe. [The whole game is to tell stories. The future belongs to storytellers]," seemingly putting him on the path to becoming a filmmaker.

The Gujarati film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival 2021 yesterday, where it opened the Spotlight section. The film also stars Richa Meena and Dipen Raval as Samay’s parents. Paresh Mehta, Vikas Bata, Rahul Koli, Shoban Makwa, Kishan Parmar and Vijay Mer are also part of the cast of characters.

Watch the trailer below and let us know if you are keen to see the film.