New Delhi: The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has voiced serious concerns to the choice of Chhello Show as India’s official entry for the Oscars after several people, including lovers of movies like RRR and The Kashmir Files, expressed unhappiness with the choice. The union asserted that Chhello Show is not even an Indian film and urged that the Film Federation of India (FFI) rethink its decision.
Gujarati coming-of-age drama film Chhello Show, which was released in English as Last Film Show, was directed by Pan Nalin. According to FWICE, India’s application for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards is ineligible because it is a foreign film.
FWICE President BN Tiwari told ETimes, “The film is not an Indian film and the process of selection is not correct. There were so many Indian films like RRR and The Kashmir Files but the jury chose a foreign film that has been bought by Siddharth Roy Kapur.”
Also raising questions about the jury of the Film Federation of India (FFI), BN Tiwari said, “We want re-election of the films and the present jury be dissolved. Half of them are there for years and most of them don’t watch the film and voting is done. If ‘Last Film Show’ is sent, it will reflect badly on India which is known to be an industry that makes maximum number of films.” He also said that FWICE will be writing to Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur to voice their complaints.
Chhello Show is the story of a nine-year-old boy in Gujarat as he falls in love with cinema for life. The story is based in Saurashtra in Gujarat and is said to be Pan Nalin’s semi-autobiographical, as he was also born and brought up in Saurashtra.
