Following much anticipation, the Film Federation of India (FFI) recently unveiled Gondhal, a gripping Marathi thriller directed by Santosh Davakhar, as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027).
The selection follows last year’s official submission, Homebound.
The film has already made waves internationally, with Davakhar winning the prestigious Silver Peacock Award for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). It features an ensemble cast including Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir, and Anuj Prabhu, with a score composed by music legend Ilaiyaraaja.
Addressing the debate surrounding Dhurandhar, Vivek Vaswani revealed that while a few jury members appreciated the film, it did not fit the criteria required for an Oscar submission. The film’s authentic cultural backdrop was a primary factor that won over the jury. Speaking to NDTV, Vaswani stated that a couple of people liked the film, but the jury did not view it as “Oscar material. He further explained that the Dhurandhar franchise failed to represent Indian culture in the specific manner the jury prioritised for the global stage. Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal is a psychological thriller set against the backdrop of Maharashtra’s traditional midnight ritual and folk-performance art form.
