India’s Oscar entry Chhello Show child actor Rahul Koli dies of cancer

Rahul Koli, the child actor of Chhello Show or Last Film Show fame, died of cancer at 10.

He was one of the six child actors who are part of the film that is India’s official entry for the best international feature film category at the 95th Academy Awards.

As per a report, Rahul’s father said the late child actor had repeated bouts of fever before his death, and vomited blood. He said that after they perform Rahul’s last rites, the family will watch Chhello Show together. The film releases on October 14.

“On Sunday, October 2, he had his breakfast and then after repeated bouts of fever in the following hours, Rahul vomited blood thrice and just like that my child was no more. Our family is devastated. But we will watch his ‘last film show’ together on the release day on October 14 after we perform his final purification rituals,” his father Ramu Koli told Times of India. Rahul was his eldest child.

Inspired by Pan Nalin’s own memories of falling in love with movies as a child in rural Gujarat, Last Film Show is set at the cusp of the digital revolution. Set in a remote rural village of Saurashtra, the film follows the story of a nine-year-old boy who begins a lifelong love affair with cinema when he bribes his way into a rundown movie palace and spends a summer watching movies from the projection booth.

The film, starring debutant child actor Bhavin Rabari as Samay, had premiered at the 2021 edition of the New York-set Tribeca Film Festival, which counts Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro as one of its founders. It will release in theatres on October 14. A day before its official release, Last Film Show will be screened in 95 theatres across India, with tickets priced at ₹95.

According to FFI president TP Aggarwal, Chhello Show was unanimously chosen over films such as SS Rajamouli’s RRR, Ranbir Kapoor-led Brahmastra: Part One Shiva, Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files and R Madhavan’s directorial debut Rocketry.