The trailer of Chhello Show (The Last Film Show), India’s official entry to The Oscars, was released by the makers on Wednesday. The film stars Bhavin Rabari, Vikas Bata, Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval and Rahul Koli. It will be released in theatres on October 14.

The trailer opens with a family deciding to go to the city to watch a film. We see the protagonist Samay, a young kid, who supplies tea to travellers at railway stations. His father runs a tea stall. Samay, to quench his thirst for films, befriends a worker at a theatre. He supplies food to the worker and in exchange, he lets him watch films from the projector room. Samay also gets beaten up by his father for bunking school and watching films. Police are also shown and it is indicated that Samay is accused of stealing something.

Chhello Show is directed by Pan Nalin who also made Valley of Flowers (2006) and Angry Indian Goddesses (2014). Talking about the film being India’s entry for the 2023 Oscars, Nalin had said in a statement, “I could have never imagined such a day would come and bring light and celebration of light. Chhello Show has been enjoying love from around the world but there was an ache in my heart that how do I make India discover it? Now I can breathe again and believe in cinema that entertains, inspires and enlightens! Thank you FFI, Thank you Jury.”

The film was in contention to be India’s official Oscar entry last year too, but then, FFI picked P S Vinothraj’s Tamil film Koozhangal (Pebbles).

Chhello Show, produced by Roy Kapur Films, Jugaad Motion Pictures, Monsoon Films and Chhello Show LLP, had its world premiere as the opening film at Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival. It won the Golden Spike at the 66th Valladolid Film Festival in Spain.