India’s official entry to the Oscars Chhello Show has already won accolades in the international circuit. With the film releasing in India today, it is a day of reckoning for its director Pan Nalin and the entire cast and crew.
Nalin, who hails from Saurashtra, says he has gone with his conviction to make Chhello Show. There are only a couple of professional actors in the film; rest are newcomers.
Nalin spoke to THE WEEK ahead of the premier in Ahmedabad. Excerpts:
Q/ Why was the movie first not released in India?
A/ We were to release in November and December last year but due to Omicron, 75 per cent of the theatres were shut. The ones that were open were looking at big blockbusters. There was a huge backlog.
We were then given dates of April and May this year, but that we could not, as we had started foreign release. We had a big release in Spain, followed by Germany. By June, we knew that cinemas are functioning well. Roy Kapur Films told us that things are normal and backlog is clear. We will probably get good shows around October between Dusherra and Diwali. After Diwali, it will be busy again.
Sometime in July, we decided that we are releasing on October 14. Since 20th of July, we have been showing the film at many places, long before its Oscar nomination. We held private shows in Ahmedabad, Kerala, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pondicherry. We were just calling up groups, film societies to come and watch. We had shows to create the buzz.
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Q/ Do you think that the accolades the film received abroad could have influenced its nomination as India’s entry to the Oscars?
A/ There are 17 jury members in the Film Federation of India. Many of them have won several awards. They know what cinema is. One year ago, Peter Goldwyn of Samuel Goldwyn Films gave out a statement in one of the leading Hollywood newspapers that, in Chhello Show, he sees a strong contender for Oscars and that is why he was buying the film. The same quote was given by Orange Studios. Yes, they do believe that this film can be a serious contender, if India chooses to send it.
The film did not only play well at many festivals, but got good distributors, who, for the first time, were distributing an Indian film. Samuel Goldwyn Films is, for the first time, distributing an Indian movie in the US. Suchico Studio, the number one studio in Japan, has acquired an Indian movie for the first time and releasing it in January 2023. Medusa Film from Italy and many other studios, too. Then there's the opening at Tribeca Film Festival. There have been quite a few things going on. What I have heard that when this film got over, all the jury members stood up and clapped. They were deeply moved.
Q/ How different would the movie have been, had you taken stars in it?
A/ I think it would have been a very different film. I do not think it would have got nominated. If you look at the recent history, the movies have been chosen, nominated or won for authentic, organic storytelling.
Also, audience is really smart these days. They might not have gone emotionally with the character. Hindi would have taken them out of the film. Set in Kathiyawad of 2010-11, they would think how are the characters speaking in Hindi. If we had made the movie in Hindi, then we would have required Hindi actors. For me, it was a really important decision that if it has to be authentic, organic and as honest as possible, the movie must be rooted and grounded in Kathiyawad.
Q/ Majority of the actors in your movie are first timers. What will their life be after the movie?
A/ Some of the actors have been doing television shows. Now they have much more exposure, so people are calling them. Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval and Richa Meena are professional actors, and they will get noted. Richa is already generating curiosity.
Child artist Bhavin Rabari, who is playing the lead role of Samay, is keen to pursue acting as a career and it comes naturally to him. I don’t have to say anything. His biggest visiting card is the film. He is a 12-year-old and has immense potential.
We had done some 3,000-plus auditions. Our auditions were just not speaking lines. It was also about the body language of the children. Do they have “jugaad” spirit? If I give them a broken bottle, what do they do and how engrossed they remain in the activity. This is because they had to carry the movie on their shoulders. The acting has to be part of their being. Since it was a lead role, we were advised that we should go with a professional child artist. So, our first set of auditions were in Mumbai and Ahmedabad and there were many who had done television shows, movies and advertisements. However, it was very disappointing. Their body language, acting style was very heavily influenced by popular cinema. It would have gone against them. Nobody would have believed that he was chaiwala ka son at the railway station.
We then changed the strategy and started looking out for non-actors. We were sure to get it. As I travel, I realise that we are filled with talent. The non-actors were so good and exactly what I had imagined. Sixty of them were shortlisted and six were taken and then the roles they were to play, were decided.
Q/ Which are the projects you are currently working on?
A/ Right now everything has taken a backseat as we have to promote Chhello Show. There are some projects but it is too early to say, as they are not finalised. They are in Hollywood and in India. There is also a show.
Q/ Any Hindi or Gujarati movie on cards? Would you want to direct any particular Gujarati or Hindi movie star?
A/ I am not driven by actors. I would love to work with stars. I would first fall in love with the first “S”, that is stories, and for me, the star of every story is a story. There were times when people waited for movies of a particular star. Now is the time when people wait for a good story. Then, if I get a chance to work with any star, it will be great. But it will be wrong if I start with a star.
Q/ How different is Chhello Show from other Gujarati or Hindi movies?
A/ I can only speak for myself. I have done what appeals to me as storytelling, the kind of cinema that interests me, the way I see emotion, what I think of what the audience will be touched by. I have to be honest to the story. How do you make this story, the best way possible in terms of direction, sound, design, cinematography. All my films have been different. Ultimately, the film has to work with the masses.
Q/ As you go with your conviction, how does success or failure matter to you?
A/ Yes, success or failure do matter. Success and failure are driven my marketing, exhibitor, and monopoly of theatre owners. There are a lot aspects involved. For example, Valley of Flowers did not do well when it was released. But 12-15 years later, it is a cult film in Korea, Eastern Europe and Japan. People have not forgotten the film. It is not about how the box office is going to be. In Europe, when they write Box Office, it is about the number of people who have seen the movie and not how much money it earned. If you go by it, then every movie is a failure as our population is very large.
Q/ How do you define an art movie and does Chhello Show fall in that category?
A/ For me, I do not believe in art movie, Hindi movie or festival movie. These are labels that are probably made by some filmmaker to escape. I believe every film is commercial. It cannot be made without money and whoever puts money, it has to be recouped. Cinema is a commercial venture. You need an army to make a film. You need talent in all departments. When I make a movie, I do not want to make an excuse that Samsara is not doing well as it came out on the same day as Star Wars or James Bond. Nobody told me to make a movie. If I make it, I may accept it is a reality. If a huge James Bond movie is coming out on the same day when Chhello Show is releasing, then it is not going to change anything.
