Indian entries to the best foreign film category at the Oscars generally attract a lot of controversies back home. From allegations of favouritism to sending films that are copied or ‘inspired’ from other movies, it is usual to see people question the choice of films sent to the Oscars. This year’s selection by the Film Federation of India (FFI), Chhello Show (The Last Show) is no different as there are several questions being raised over its selection by the jury.
Chhello Show not an Indian film?
The biggest bone of contention regarding the nomination of this film by the jury is that it is not even an Indian film so how can it be sent as India’s official entry to the Oscars. The film’s main producers are the Orange Studios, most of the crew that worked on the film is not Indian, so people have been questioning the choice of the film as Indian entry even though the film is in an Indian language, Gujarati.
In fact, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has already raised objection over this issue and questioned why didn’t the jury send an Indian film to the Oscars instead. BN Tiwari, the President of FWICE even demanded the appointment of a new jury which can be more fair and transparent in selecting the films that can represent India. He mentioned that Chello Show is a foreign film and only the rights were bought by Siddharth Roy Kapur.
Bizarrely, even the President of the Film Federation of India said that he is not sure if Chhello Show is an Indian film. Makes it even more strange that FFI’s jury will select the film to represent India in that case.
The film released in 2021, but being considered in 2022
Another problem raised over the selection of Chhello Show is its release date. The Film Federation of India is supposed to choose from the films release this year, in 2022, for the 2023 Oscars. However, Chhello Show premiered in June 2021, theoretically making it ineligible for selection this year.
Chello Show premiered at the 20th Tribeca Film Festival held in June 2021 and was selected for the Spotlight section of the festival. It played at various film festivals throughout 2021, notably at Beijing International Film Festival, Valladolid International Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival among others. A film that had been shown widely across the world in 2021 becoming a 2022 release for the sake of this selection for the Oscars doesn’t sit right with too many people, as the filmmakers who released their films in 2022 didn’t get a fair opportunity.
In fact, the chairman of the jury TS Nagabharana has given an official statement in Bombay Times that Chhello Show was also considered last year by the jury. Considering the same film for 2 years in a row seems grossly unfair to the other filmmakers.
Allegations of plagiarism against Chhello Show
There have also been allegations from certain sections that Chhello Show is heavily ‘inspired’ from the 1988 Italian film ‘Cinema Paradiso’ which won the Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
VIDEO: I’ve combined trailers of Italian masterpiece CINEMA PARADISO (1988) & CHHELLO SHOW in one video. Pls watch complete video.
— Navneet Mundhra (@navneet_mundhra) September 20, 2022
Plot of both movies is totally same. A small-town boy befriends a projectionist at cinema hal and falls in love with the magic of cinema.. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5AFwTsiscP
It isn’t the first time in recent years that India has sent a film to the Oscars which is heavily inspired from a western film.
India’s entry for the 2020 Oscars, Gully Boy, was a rip-off of Eminem’s 8 Mile. Eminem even won an Academy Award for best original song for that film. Similarly, India’s entry for the 2018 Oscars, Newton, had many striking similarities with the Iranian film ‘Secret Ballot’. Even though the Iranian filmmaker later clarified that Newton isn’t a copy of his film. Indian entry for the 2013 Awards, Barfi!, was just a highlight reel of Charlie Chaplin movies, but didn’t stop the jury from sending it to the Oscars as the best of Indian cinema.
While there is unlikely to be any change in the selection of the film by FFI’s jury this year, but many cinema fans felt that it would have been better if India had sent the hugely popular ‘RRR’ or Vivek Agnihotri’s poignant depiction of Kashmiri Hindu genocide ‘The Kashmir Files’ as its official entry to the Oscars.
