This is the question a lot of people are asking right now. It has been alleged that ‘Chhello Show’ which was selected by the jury as India’s official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film Category is a freemake of ‘Cinema Paradiso’ which came out in 1988. Interestingly, this film won the Academy Award at that time and it has the same story where a poor boy befriends a projectionist in the cinema hall and falls in love with films and its magic.
‘Chhello Show’ is a Gujarati film that was released on 14th October 2022. This film got good reviews but many accuse that it is severely inspired from the Hollywood flick and they are bashing the jury for picking this film over ‘RRR’ which got applause all over the country and also received praise from the international audience.
There is also another news that ‘Chhello Show’ was in contention last year too but was dismissed by a couple of members. People are questioning how can a film be in contention for two years in a row and was selected above ‘RRR’ which is even mentioned in the popular English magazines and websites.
There are a few sections of people who are blaming the Central Government for ignoring the brilliance of South cinema once again. Some are even going to the extreme lengths of saying that the jury selected a Gujarati film just because Narendra Modi is a Gujarati. While these claims are a bit irrational, it is a bit astounding to see the jury selecting a Hollywood-inspired flick over a film of the public’s choice.
