"People making such allegations without watching the film is very sad," Chhello Show director Pan Nalin told DNA in an exclusive chat.
Filmmaker Pan Nalin, whose Gujarati-language film Chhello Show, titled Last Film Show in English, has been picked as India's official entry to the Oscars for the Best International Feature Film category, recently opened up on claims that his movie is inspired by the Oscar-winning 1988 film Cinema Paradiso, written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.
Best known for directing critically-acclaimed films Samsara, Valley of Flowers and Angry Indian Goddesses, and now Last Film Show, director Pan Nalin on being asked about the claims that his film is 'copied, inspired' by Cinema Paradiso told DNA, "People have to watch the film, they have to watch my film first." He added, "Honestly, I know that this (Chhello Show) is the truest inspiration from my own childhood. I'm a huge cinephile. Cinema Paradiso was one of the greatest films I ever saw, and even when I watched the film, I felt there were certain scenes the director might have stolen from my own life. It was such a great film." Pan Nalin further said, "People making such allegations without watching the film is very sad."
READ: Director Pan Nalin opens up on sharp reactions to Chhello Show being India's entry to Oscars, not RRR | Exclusive
"We live in the information age, all you have to do is Google. Tell me, why would Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival invite Last Film Show to premiere at the festival? This festival is made up of film-savvy people. Even if it (Chhello Show) was vaguely a copy of any other film, forget Cinema Paradiso, or any other film...Similarly, for Seminci Valladolid, a festival that is made up of people who write film books, who write film criticism, and film theories, they wouldn't know that they are giving Best Picture Golden Spike Award to a copy? Forget all that, Samuel Goldwyn Films of America...why would they pick up our film and tell us that we are going to fight for your film because it's a serious contender for an Oscar? Can we imagine none of these people ever saw Cinema Paradiso? So, I just feel this crudely baseless and the answer will come on the 14th of October," he told DNA.
Chhello Show/Last Film Show is a coming-of-age drama about a young boy's love affair with cinema. It is India's official entry for the 95th Academy Awards. The film is all set to release in theatres in India on October 14.
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 "Last Film Show-Pan Nalin-Cinema Paradiso/Twitter")
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