'Chhello Show' director Pan Nalin talks about growing regional cinema, says 'it's symbolic of India's leaping progress'

Mumbai: Indian filmmaker Pan Nalin, whose Gujarati film `Chhello Show` or `Last Film Show` has been sent as India`s official entry for the 95th edition of Academy Awards under the Best International Feature Film category, feels that regional cinema of India gaining prominence at the global level is an indication of India`s progress on the international stage.

Elaborating on the same, the director told IANS: "'Last Film Show' or 'Chhello Show', as we know it, is one of my greatest achievements. The respect and admiration the movie has amassed across the globe, to the point that it was selected as India`s official entry to the Oscars, warms my heart. The rise of regional cinema is symbolic of India`s leaping progress not just on a national but on a global scale."

The makers of the film recently released an unseen footage from the film, which is exclusively to stream on IMDb's website.

Reacting to the same, Pan said: "I`m delighted to premiere an exclusive glimpse of the movie on IMDb. For years, the platform has served cinema audiences worldwide, championing authentic storytelling irrespective of scale. I couldn`t think of a better platform to debut unseen excerpts from the film."

Written, directed and produced by Pan, the film has been produced by Roy Kapur Films, Jugaad Motion Pictures, and Monsoon Films. It essays the tale of nine-year-old Samay, played by Bhavin Rabari, enthralled by the magic of movies yet struck down by destiny.