Gujarati Cinema – The Common Man Speaks

Although filmmaker Pan Nalin’s Gujarati movie Chhello Show (English title: Last Film Show) released in India this week, it has been making a lot of noise internationally for the last two years. It is also India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language film at the prestigious Oscars.

Whether it is a worthy choice for the Oscars is debatable. But, after going through the experience, it is a no brainer that the film deserves applause for its ode to the medium of cinema.

Chhello Show tells an interesting tale of a boy named Samay (Bhavin Rabari), who stays with his father (Dipen Raval), a tea-seller, mother (Richa Meena) and little sister in a remote village in Saurashtra. His father abhors movies but he once takes the entire family to watch a film at a nearby town simply because the movie in question is a devotional one. The father says that this is Samay’s first and the last film at a cinema hall [hence, the title].

But the little boy is mesmerized by the medium of cinema. He decides that this can never be his last show. So he steals money from his father, bunks school and secretly visits the theatre in that town, called Galaxy, to catch a film. His father gets to know of his ‘crime’ and he beats him up.

However, Samay strikes a friendship with the projectionist Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali), who allows him watch films for free as long as he lets him eat his delicious lunch prepared by his mother. While Samay is loving being in company of cinema, his road ahead with the medium is full of thorns.

Pan Nalin’s writing and presentation makes you a keen observer of Samay’s life and his world instantly. If you happen to be a movie lover, you will deeply root for the boy to keep his affair with cinema continuing, despite the odds. But what works most for the film is the establishment of the protagonist’s innocence.

This ensures that you will support the kid even when he carries out immoral activities because they aren’t born out of any greed for money; it’s only for his love and fascination for cinema. The film has various moments that make you smile and at the same time feel emotional as you can sense that the overall film itself is a result of someone’s fascination for the art.

The technical aspects, in term of the natural camerawork and minimal background score, play a quiet yet important role in creating the overall effect.

Bhavin Rabari is nothing short of a main ‘hero’ who carries Chhello Show on his shoulders. Despite his age, he lives and breathes a character that doesn’t cease to adore you. Rahul Koli, as the protagonist’s friend, is equally good. It is super tragic that he passed away just before the release of the film.

Bhavesh Shrimali easily brings out the endearing nature of Fazal. Dipen Raval and Richa Meena are perfect as Samay’s parents. Thankfully, the former isn’t limited to being a strict father.

Although Chhello Show is semi-autobiographical account of the filmmaker himself, an important moment during the ending part is difficult to digest considering the age of the protagonist. The film also deserved to be crisper on a few occasions.

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Also, it is impossible to not think about the classic Cinema Paradiso (1988) while watching Chhello Show. Once again, despite it being the real story of Pan Nalin, the basic idea and the main characters are similar to the 1988 movie. A line acknowledging the inspiration could have been added.

Having said that, Chhello Show has plenty going for itself that’s enough to move the movie lover in you.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Pan Nalin

Producers: Pan Nalin, Dheer Momaya, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Marc Duale

Writer: Pan Nalin

Cast: Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval, Richa Meena

In the first scene of director Abhishek Shah’s Gujarati movie Hellaro, a mother tells her daughter that girls are not allowed to do Garba (a dance form). When she asks the reason, her father chips in with, “Girls are not even allowed to ask questions.”

Welcome to the interiors of the rann of Kutch in Samarpur in 1975. It is only the men who are actually living their lives in this village. The women are treated like cattle. They are an object of desire for their respective husbands. They can’t move freely around without permission. Most importantly, they are not allowed to do Garba.

In such a setting arrives Manjhri (Shraddha Dangar) as a bride in one household. She is educated by the standards of other women as she has seen the life in the main city of Kutch. Hellaro is about how these women start experiencing freedom when it is least expected after the arrival of a drum player Mulji (Jayesh More) in their lives.

The film brings back memories of Leena Yadav’s Hindi movie Parched (2016). Although the story took place in Rajasthan, it had the same setting of a village in desert where women are living a life of hell. Except this, Hellaro shares no similarity with the 2016 film in terms of the story as well as the treatment.

Shah manages the challenging task of portraying the minute details of the lives of people in such remote areas with all the detailing in place. The clever and smooth-flowing screenplay is ably supported by some creative presentation. This is enough to make the film relatable to any audience around the world.

The hypocrisy of the men is exposed in a natural way. For example, they won’t let their women go out without a veil but at the same time would lust for the Hindi film heroines. There are moments when the plight of the victims breaks your heart. Like, a man forcefully having sex with his wife, which is nothing but marital rape.

Hellaro goes onto a different plane once the women gradually start treading on the path of Garba. The introduction of which is masterfully done. Shraddha Dangar, Kaushambi Bhatt, Esha Kansara and the rest of the female actors have not only acted convincingly but have also shown natural dancing skills.

Jayesh More, in the role of the drummer who changes things, provides a heart-wrenching act oozing realism throughout. Maulik Nayak’s enthusiasm and comic timing is also worth appreciating. He plays Bhaglo, the only link between this remote village and the city.

The end result is vital here since you badly root for the victims. This is where the film reaches its highest point. Without giving away any spoilers, the last 10-15 minutes evoke various emotions as you sit rapt. Mehul Surti’s music plays a big role not just here but in the entire film.

Also read: Saaho’s major similarity with Baahubali (SPOILERS alert)

The only minus point is in the form of a questionable moment in the end. But it certainly doesn’t turn out to be a bother due to the effect generated.

Overall: Hellaro justifies its National Award for the Best Film. It showcases rebellion where it’s least expected. It indirectly gives a message that if patriarchy can be smashed even in the most regressive places, there is no reason why it should exist anywhere else. Abhishek Shah achieves this in his directorial debut.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Director: Abhishek Shah

Producers: Saarthi Productions and Harfanmaula Films

Writers: Abhishek Shah, Prateek Gupta and Soumya Joshi Devvrat

Cast: Shraddha Dangar, Jayesh More, Kaushambi Bhatt, Esha Kansara, Aarjav Trivedi, Maulik Nayak

Chhello Show (Last Film Show) review

Hellaro (Gujarati movie) Review