Mumbai:Marathi cinema has reached the international spotlight with Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, being selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced the selection on September 18, choosing the film from 33 submissions across multiple Indian languages.
Set in rural Maharashtra, Gondhal unfolds against the backdrop of the traditional Gondhal ritual, exploring themes of relationships, desire, ambition and human conflict. The story centres on a newly married woman whose circumstances lead her into a complex situation involving love, deception and fate, with the traditional folk ritual forming an important part of the film’s narrative.
The film features Ishita Deshmukh in the lead, alongside Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and others. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music for the film. The selection follows the film’s growing recognition on the festival circuit, including its world premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2025.
For Davakhar, the Oscar selection adds to a series of recognitions received for the film. At IFFI 2025, he won the Silver Peacock for Best Director for Gondhal. The film also received recognition at other film festivals, including the Pune International Film Festival.
Speaking about the selection, Davakhar said the recognition brings a significant responsibility for the team as the film prepares for its international campaign. He has also spoken about his intention to present Maharashtra’s cultural traditions and a different facet of Indian storytelling to international audiences through the film.
The FFI selection committee considered 33 films before choosing Gondhal as India’s official submission. The entries represented several Indian languages, with the final selection placing a Marathi-language film on the country’s official Oscar campaign for the first time since Court was selected in 2015. Earlier Marathi films chosen as India’s Oscar submissions include Shwaas and Harishchandrachi Factory.
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Gondhal will now move into the next stage of the Oscar campaign as India’s official submission in the International Feature Film category.
