At the 27th Satellite Awards held in the US on Sunday, Bhavin Rabari, the lead young actor in Pan Nalin’s Oscar-nominated Gujarati film Chhello Show (The Last Film Show), won the International Press Academy (IPA) award in the category of “Best Breakthrough Performance.”
After 21 years, the movie is the first Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar in the category of “Best International Feature Film.” Additionally, the movie won top prizes at various major international film festivals, including Tribeca, Busan, Mill Valley, and Seminci.
Rabari, 13, the child actor who played the character of the protagonist named Samay, is among the youngest recipients of the prestigious award, joining the list of former recipients such as Edward Norton, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Russel Crowe, and Hale Berry, a release said.
“I am very happy and want to thank Nalin Sir (director Nalin Pandya), Siddharth Sir and Dheer Bhai for the opportunity with this film. I hope we can make India Proud and win many more such awards and bring home the Oscars,” said Rabari as per a press note.
Director Nalin said, “The love the film and Bhavin have been receiving is humbling. This award is truly special because it recognizes his hard work at such a young age.”
The film is going to be released by Shochiku and Medusa production studios in Japan and Italy, respectively. The film was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films in the US and by Roy Kapur Films in India, and Orange Studio will be releasing the film in France. It is available on Netflix India as well.