Producers Siddharth Roy Kapur, Dheer Momaya and director Pan Nalin, the team behind India’s official entry to the Oscars Chhello Show (Last Film Show), are on cloud nine after their film has been shortlisted in the ‘International Feature Film’ category at the 95th Academy awards.
Four Indian films have been shortlisted across various categories, including Chhello Show for International feature film, SS Rajamouli’s RRR for Music (Original song) for the track “Naatu Naatu”, filmmaker Shaunak Sen’s All that Breathes for best documentary feature film and Kartiki Gonsalves’ The Elephant Whisperers for documentary short film.
The team of Chhello Show said in a statement that being shortlisted at the Academy Awards is a “historic moment for India” and hoped to bring home the Oscar. Chhello Show is among 15 films that will advance to the next round of voting in the international feature film category.
Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, producer Dheer Momaya and director Pan Nalin jointly said, “We are humbled and overjoyed that our heartfelt ode to the cinematic medium ‘Last Film Show (Chhello Show)’ has been recognized by the world’s preeminent awards body, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ever since our selection by the Film Federation of India as India’s Official Entry to the 95th Oscars, we knew in our hearts that the film was bound for something special. We would like to thank the FFI, the millions of people who watched and admired Chhello Show, as well as our international distributors who gave the film a well-deserved push. This is a historic moment for India and we hope to bring the Oscar home very soon.”
The Academy on Thursday announced shortlists in 10 categories: Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound, and Visual Effects.
'The Last Film Show' was released in Indian theatres on October 14. The semi-biographical coming-of-age drama, written and directed by Pan Nalin, follows nine-year-old cinema lover Samay as he moves heaven and earth in pursuit of his 35mm dreams, unaware of the heartbreaking times that await him. It is currently streaming on Netflix.
