Pan Nalin’s Gujarati-language drama Chhello Show (The Last Film Show) did not receive a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category. 95th Academy Awards. Actor Allison Williams and actor-rapper-producer Riz Ahmed announced the nominations Tuesday night.
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany), Argentina 1985 (Argentina), Close (Belgium), Eo (Poland) and The Quiet Girl (Ireland) are nominated in the Best International Feature Film category.
With this year’s nominations for international feature film, we are penetrating the whole world. #Oscars #Oscars 95 pic.twitter.com/naCBKbjol6
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 24, 2023
Chhello Show was famously chosen ahead of popular Telugu blockbuster RRR as India’s official pick in the category, despite not playing any major film festivals (except Tribeca) or having any momentum behind it. It also caused controversy when similarities were drawn between its plot and that of the Italian classic Cinema Paradiso. The film was introduced by producer Siddharth Roy Kapur and had a brief theatrical release before debuting on Netflix.
This has historically been India’s most successful category at the Academy Awards. While no Indian film has ever won in the category, which was previously known as Best Foreign Language Film, three Indian titles have previously been nominated. Mehboob Khan’s Mother India was nominated for the 30th Academy Award, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay was nominated for the 61st Academy Award and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan was nominated for the 74th Academy Award. The first ever Indian woman to be nominated for an Oscar was costume designer Bhanu Athaiya for her work on Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. In 1992, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray received an honorary Oscar. India’s last taste of success at the Oscars was when Danny Boyle’s British film Slumdog Millionaire won the Oscars for composer AR Rahman, lyricist Gulzar and sound engineer Resul Pookooty. Last year, Writing by Fire was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category.
Mr. Nalin mostly worked on international projects. After starting out as a documentary filmmaker, he broke through in 2001 with the drama Samsara and followed it up with Valley of Flowers in 2006. He directed Angry Indian Goddesses in 2015 and his last feature film was Beyond the Known World in 2017.
The 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 13 (IST) and the ceremony will be hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel for the third time.
