Here's everything you need to know about Pan Nalin, whose film Chhello Show aka Last Film Show has been selected as India's entry to the Oscars.
On Tuesday, September 20, Film Federation of India, in a surprising move, selected the 2021 Gujarati film Chhello Show aka Last Film Show to represent India at the Academy Awards 2023. The other films which were said to be in contention were SS Rajamouli's RRR, Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi, Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra, and others.
Here's everything you need to know about Chhello Show's director Nalin Kumar Pandya aka Pan Nalin, who is a self-taught filmmaker. (All images: Twitter)
1. Pan Nalin's childhood and educational background
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Pan Nalin was born in a remote village near Gir Forest in Gujarat. Till the age of 12, he sold tea from his father's canteen at the Khijadiya Junction Railway Station. Due to his interest in cinema, he studied Fine Arts at the M.S. University, Vadodara for a year and went to the acclaimed National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
2. Pan Nalin's stint in Mumbai directing short films and documentaries
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After his studies, Nalin moved to Mumbai looking for his Bollywood break and joined Durga Khote Productions. He directed several commercial and corporate films for the company and then later made documentaries for international TV networks such as BBC and Discovery. He later founded his own production company called Monsoon Films.
3. Pan Nalin's previous acclaimed films
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Pan Nalin made his feature film directorial debut with the Shawn Ku and Christy Chung starrer 2001 independent film Samsara for which he won several awards at international film festivals. In 2006, he made Valley of Flowers starring Milind Soman, Naseeruddin Shah, and French actress Mylene Jampanoi. His third feature film was the 2015 drama Angry Indian Goddesses which had an ensemble cast comprising Sandhya Mridul, Anushka Manchanda, Sarah-Jane Dias, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Amrit Maghera, and Rajshri Deshpande.
4. Chhello Show aka Last Film Show
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The 2021 Gujarati film Chhello Show aka Last Film Show is a coming-of-age drama film is a part-autobiographical drama that captures the childhood innocence and the universal magic of the movies. Starring Bhavin Rabari, Vikas Bata, Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval, and Rahul Koli, Chhello Show will be released in theatres in Gujarat and on select screens across India on 14th October 2022.
5. Pan Nalin's reaction to Oscar selection
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Reacting to his film being picked as India's entry to Oscars 2023, the filmmaker took to his social media handles and wrote, "OMG! What a night this going to be! Gratitude to Film Federation of India and thank you FFI jury members. Thank you for believing in Chhello Show. Now I can breathe again and believe in cinema that entertains, inspires and enlightens!".
