Rahul Koli, child actor from India's official Oscar entry 'Chhello Show' dies of cancer at 15

Pan Nalin's directorial is a coming-of-age drama which stars Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval, Rahul Koli and Paresh Mehta in the lead roles.

New Delhi: Rahul Koli, one of the child actors in the regional film 'Chhello Show or Last Film Show', which is also India' official entry to the Oscars, died of cancer at the age of 15.

His father Ramu Koli, while talkig with Times of India said,“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,".

Pan Nalin's directorial is a coming-of-age drama which stars Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval, and Paresh Mehta in the lead roles. The film, which premiered at the 20th Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2021, will have a theatrical release on the 14th of October 2022.

The film which was inspired by the childhood memories of the filmmaker himself follows Samay (Bhavin Rabari), a nine-year-old from the Indian town of Chalala in Saurashtra, Gujarat where he spends the entire summer viewing movies from the projection booth of a dilapidated theatre by paying the projectionist Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali). He is completely enthralled by movies and the art of filmmaking, to the point where he decides to pursue a career in the industry without realising the devastating experiences that lie ahead.