Set in a remote village in Gujarat, Chhello Show follows the story of a little kid who gets acquainted with his love for cinema when he visits a local theatre for the first time. The story is a nostalgic trip down memory lane that felt just so personal. Yes, certain parts of the film will remind you of Cinema Paradiso but the trajectory of the story is very different here. The screenplay standing at under 2 hours makes for a crisp watch where the drama wouldn’t meander much.

The entire setup of the drama is a fascinating one. You are introduced to the young protagonist and his family wherein you instantly get to know about their humble backgrounds. While the village where the drama is set in is beautiful, the family is shown to visit a local theatre which is the next district. Their conversations revolving around cinema are relatable and quite grounded. The first brush with cinema is often special. I remember being awed by it as well and curious on how things are unfolding. A similar scene depicted the young protagonist slowly falling in love with cinema yet being quite curious on how the film is shown on the big screen. In a separate scene, the young protagonist wishes to look at the world through the film lens in what seemed like a kaleidoscope which was beautifully depicted.

The drama is engaging and engrossing although it does move at a leisurely pace. This ensures that the audience are nicely invested in the drama without bit of a mad hussle. The subplots here are interesting as well, one of which showcases the relationship which the young protagonist has with his mother who is softer and more receptive and quietly encouraging to her eldest son. And the other with the father who submerged in his own sorrow is the stricter of the two. A clever two lines at the halfway mark wherein two bystanders are conversing, do give a picture into why is the father always so strict

But the entire film is primarily an ode to the “projector” era of cinema. It is almost like a deconstruction of the process of film projecting as the young protagonist and the nearby kids make a working prototype of the projector, his first step towards being a filmmaker in the most literal sense. This was a fascinating watch in many ways as it did give me a peek into how things were assembled before being eventually available onscreen.

The events leading to the final act are interesting too although a touch melancholic. It did break my heart in seeing the turn of events(something that I will conceal to avoid spoilers). It also gave the importance of education which is crucial be it in any field. But the final act was a heartfelt one, remiscent of the pre-ending of Cinema Paradiso or even The Hand Of God. The entire journey did feel personal(although we most definitely did have separate journeys with cinema being at the centre of it) summing up this screenplay which is indeed beautifully written which will coax you to shed a tear occassionally but will also put a smile on your face. The “bangle” tribute to so many filmmakers and contributors to cinema as a whole was a heartening sight that did end up giving me goosebumps.