Marathi thriller ‘Gondhal’, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2027 from 33 competing films
Mumbai: Marathi cinema has once again made its mark on the international stage. The Marathi thriller ‘Gondhal’, directed by Santosh Davakhar, will represent India at the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for 2027. The Film Federation of India (FFI) selected the film as India’s official entry in the International Feature Film category.
The FFI announced the selection on September 18 in Mumbai. The jury picked ‘Gondhal’ from a list of 33 films that competed for India’s official Oscar entry this year.
‘Gondhal’ Selected From 33 Films
Filmmakers from several Indian languages submitted 33 films for consideration this year. The list included films from Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati and other Indian-language industries.
The competing titles included ‘Dhurandhar’, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, ‘Hanuman Ansh’, ‘Border 2’, ‘Haq’, ‘120 Bahadur’, ‘Gandhi Talks’, ‘Bison Kaalamadan’, ‘Ikkis’, ‘Peddi’, ‘Deool Band 2’ and ‘Shape of Momo’, among others.
Filmmaker P. Seshadri chaired the FFI selection committee.
With ‘Gondhal’, a Marathi film has once again earned the opportunity to represent India at the Oscars. Earlier, ‘Shwaas’ (2005), ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ (2009) and ‘Court’ (2015) represented India in the International Feature Film category.
What Is ‘Gondhal’ About?
Santosh Davakhar wrote and directed ‘Gondhal’, which takes viewers into rural Maharashtra. The film revolves around the traditional Maharashtrian ritual known as Gondhal, a cultural performance that combines music, dance, storytelling and religious traditions.
The story follows a newly married couple and the events that unfold during a night of celebration in their village. What begins as a wedding-related gathering gradually turns into a tense thriller involving mystery, crime and complicated relationships.
Davakhar uses the setting of the traditional ceremony to explore themes such as desire, jealousy, betrayal, trust and long-standing tensions between people.
The film features Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohani, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu in key roles. ‘Gondhal’ also marks Santosh Davakhar’s feature-film debut as a director.
Film Won Recognition at IFFI
‘Gondhal’ had already attracted attention on the festival circuit before securing India’s Oscar entry. Santosh Davakhar received the Silver Peacock at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for his work on the film.
The recognition helped bring the Marathi film and its director into the spotlight before the FFI selected it for the Oscars.
The film released theatrically in November 2025. However, it received a limited response at the box office compared with the attention it later received on the festival circuit.
Oscar Journey Has Only Just Begun
India’s selection of ‘Gondhal’ does not guarantee an Oscar nomination. The film must now go through the Academy’s selection process for the International Feature Film category.
The Academy will first announce a shortlist of 15 films. It will then select five films for the final Oscar nominations.
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
India has yet to win the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. However, three Indian films ‘Mother India’, ‘Salaam Bombay’ and ‘Lagaan’ have previously secured nominations in the category.
With ‘Gondhal’, Marathi cinema has once again taken a story rooted in Maharashtra’s culture and traditions to the global stage. The film’s next challenge will be to secure a place on the Academy’s shortlist and eventually compete for an Oscar nomination.
