Q&A WITH PAN NALIN

The filmmaker, whose recent release Chhello Show is India’s official entry to the 95th Academy Awards, talks about cinema becoming content, the future of movie theatres, and his game plan Sor the Oscars

- Ananya Ghosh

How Nalin Kumar Pandya, who grew up in a remote village of Gujarat, became internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Pan Nalin is a story for another day. Or, as the man himself puts it, "that's a long, long story; maybe I will need about a dozen more Last Film Shows to tell it."

Today, it is about the present, which seems every bit perfect, and the future. His recent release, Last Film Show (Chhello Show) is India's contender at the 95th Oscars in the international feature category. But this future is built on his rather intriguing backstory. Although set against the backdrop of movie theatres transitioning from celluloid to digital and the shutting down of thousands of single-screen cinemas across India, Last Film Show is, in fact, part autobiographical. "In my heart, I always knew Last Film Show is my story," he confirms, he sits down for an interview, taking some time out amid his whirlwind international screenings schedule.

You have been a regular at various international film festivals and your movies have been picking up awards consistently. But what is your game plan for the Oscars for The Last Show?

The nomination from the FFI (Film Federation of India) is just the beginning. The game plan is to try and find as many screenings as we can and show it to the maximum number of Academy members and make it to the shortlist. We are focusing on Los Angeles, London, and Paris. We are confident about what we have made, and we are sure they will like what they would see on screen. We don't need to hype it up.

It is only fair that a film about cinema would pay homage to cinema. But how does it feel to even respond to Cinema Paradiso comparisons? Did you expect this?