Marathi film Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been chosen as India’s official entry for the 2027 Academy Awards. The Film Federation of India announced the same today, September 18, 2026. The film will represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Oscars.
Talking about the win recognition, filmmaker Santosh Davakhar told Hindustan Times, “It’s a really proud feeling. It’s the effort of my whole Gondhal team and great support from my family. It’s amazing to epresent your country at an international level. It feels like I am going to the Olympics.”
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The filmmaker continued, “I decided to make this film according
to international taste. I wanted it to compete at that level. When I had been to festivals like Cannes, I found that the perception of Indian cinema is that our films are around poverty and casteism. I personally feel I should represent our country’s rich heritage and culture. That’s why I decided to make Gondhal.”
He feels that his journey, from working as a child labourer to becoming a filmmaker, has helped him understand his characters and bring their experiences to life better. “Aisa hai, director ko har struggle se jaana chahiye, aisa mera maana hai. Tabhi aap character ko samajh paate ho. Yes, I have gone through a lot of struggle. It reflects in every character I designed, that’s a great thing. Experience ka joda jab khulta hai, tab achhe characters nikalte hain. Vahi Gondhal ke saath hua hai,” he said.
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He had earlier taken a short course at the Film and Television Institute of India, and his experience at the Cannes Film Festival also shaped his filmmaking. “When I was at Cannes, I used to see three-four films every day. That compelled me to make a film like Gondhal,” Santosh said.
After its first theatrical run in November last year, Gondhal is now set to reach audiences again. Santosh says the film will soon be released in Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada. He also strongly feels that it is a film best experienced in theatres. “Jaldi hi release hone wali hai, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada mein. OTT ya mobile pe dekhne layak nahi hai. Jitnon ne bhi dekhi, kaha OTT pe mat dekho, theatres mein dekho. Pehla shot one take, 26 minutes ka hai. It will astonish you,” he said.
“We have already hired a social media team from Finland. And a media PR from Los Angeles, she is very good. In the last 20 years, she has worked on 27 films that were nominated. We know how we are going to represent our country at the international level. It’s a big win for regional cinema. A Marathi film, after 11 years, is going for the Oscars,” he concluded.
Gondhal previously earned Davakhar the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India and later picked up the FIPRESCI Award at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival.
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