Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show which was India’s official entry for the 95th Academy Awards has made it to the shortlist for the award ceremony. Along with the film, the song Naatu Naatu, from RRR, the Hindi-language international documentary film, All That Breathes, and the documentary short, The Elephant Whisperers, were also shortlisted for the Oscars 2023. The organisers of the renowned event announced the list of shortlisted films Thursday morning.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlist in 10 categories including documentary feature film, documentary short film, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live action short film, sound, and visual effects.
The Gujarati-language film, Chhello Show, narrates the story of a nine-year-old boy who is mesmerised by a beautiful light and shadow show that is projected behind celluloid film, putting the declining single-screen cinema and 35mm celluloid film culture in India in the spotlight. The movie stars Bhavin Rabari in the lead role along with Richa Meena, Bhavesh Shrimali, Dipen Raval, and Rahul Koli. The film was directed by Pan Nalin and was produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur and Dheer Momaya.
The Chhello Show team expressed their gratitude for having the movie recognised by the Academy. On the film being shortlisted, Pan, Siddharth and Dheer said in a joint statement, “Ever since our selection by the Film Federation of India as India's Official Entry to the 95th Oscars, we knew in our hearts that the film was bound for something special. We would like to thank the FFI, the millions of people who watched and admired Chhello Show, as well as our international distributors who gave the film a well-deserved push. This is a historic moment for India and we hope to bring the Oscar home very soon.”
According to the Academy's website, the film will be competing with 14 other films, including Argentina, 1985 (Argentina), Decision to Leave (South Korea), All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany), Close (Belgium) and The Blue Caftan (Morocco).
The track from RRR, Naatu Naatu, also earned a spot on the shortlist for best music (original song). The well-known Telugu song from SS Rajamouli's epic action drama has received three major international nominations. The track, which was written by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj and was composed by MM Keeravaani, had previously been nominated for a Critics' Choice Award and a Golden Globe.
Naatu Naatu will compete at the Oscars against 14 other songs which include No Matter What (You Give Me Strength) from Avatar: The Way of Water, Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ciao Papa from Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, and Carolina from Where the Crawdads Sing,
The Hindi-language documentary movie, All That Breathes, which was made with international collaboration, is fighting for a slot in the top five of the best documentary feature category for the award ceremony. The film, which is set in Delhi, centres on two brothers named Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad who have dedicated their lives to saving and helping injured birds, particularly Black Kites.
The Elephant Whisperers, a Tamil-language documentary by Kartiki Gonsalves, shows the unshakable friendship between two abandoned elephants and their keepers. The film has been shortlisted for the category of documentary shorts.
The 95th Academy Awards will take place on March 12, 2023.