Bhavin Rabari, the child star of India’s official selection for Oscars 2023 — Chhello Show — is one of the most promising talents in Indian showbiz. And his story is exciting, refreshing and heartening, all at once.
Hailing from the Rabari tribal community in Gujarat, Bhavin, in this interview with indianexpress.com, shared that his community is mighty proud of his feat because he is the first one to have acted in a film and to go global. However, that’s not where his heart is, as he enjoys taking his cow ‘Laali’ and buffalo ‘Kaari’ for a stroll instead.
The eight-year-old shared how he had no understanding of Oscars, and just acted in Chhello Show (The Last Film Show) because his teacher said that he was selected to act in a film, and then he started having fun while shooting for the movie.
“I just acted in the film. I didn’t know what Oscars are. A long time after we finished the film, I came to know about Oscars. I was told, ‘The film has been selected for Oscars.’ That’s when I came to know what the Oscars are. I don’t get to watch too many films, so I didn’t know how important this is. Nalin sir informed us about it over a phone call. Watching films is rare for us. I don’t even enjoy it much, but I’ve started liking watching films little little. I go to school and return home in the afternoon and then roam around in the farm, take my cattle to graze, so I didn’t know much about all this,” Bhavin said.
On being asked how his family reacted to the offer of acting in the film, he said, “My father was upset that I went for auditions without telling him, my mother knew about it. But after Nalin sir spoke to him, he has been supportive. He’s even here with me as I promote the film in Mumbai.”
Bhavin Rabari also shared how he’s become an overnight sensation in his school, which is in Vasai village, fifteen kilometers from Jamnagar, Gujarat. “I study at the ‘prathamin saalaa‘ (government primary school) in my village. All my friends go to the same school as me. My friends feel happy that I am in the film, but I miss them terribly.”
Bhavin is also managing studies while he promotes his film. Explaining how he does it all, the child actor said, “I am a good student in school, and I’m good at studies. My teacher has helped me immensely as I am away from school. I study on the go and will appear for my exams soon.”
Bhavin Rabari further discussed how he got into his character Samay who is in love with movies when he is someone who doesn’t enjoy watching movies himself. “Nalin sir guided me through the film. It felt like I was just playing with my friends. He’d give me different tasks every day, and would shoot. It was fun travelling around while shooting for the film and I learnt a lot from him too.”
Does he enjoy the glitz and glamour that surrounds films, and will he consider acting as a career option? Bhavin said, “Not really. I belong to farms and my village. I want to be there. But if I have to play Samay again, I’d do it happily.” However, the child actor also shared that while he is happy that Chhello Show has entered the Oscars race, he is not enjoying city life much. “I don’t like the food here. I like eating food that my mother cooks, and I get headaches with the air conditioning here. I also don’t really enjoy sitting around for long stretches of time.”
Chhello Show is a Gujarati coming-of-age drama that celebrates childhood and the joy of discovering the magic of movies. It is scheduled to release in theatres on October 14.
