Gondhal Director's 'Priority Was To Make Film Internationally', Wanted To Show India Beyond 'Poverty, Casteism'

Filmmaker Santosh Davakhar, whose Marathi film ‘Gondhal’ has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars, said his primary focus while making the film was to present Indian culture and heritage at large to an international audience in a cinematic way.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Davakhar opened up about his approach to the film and said he was initially unsure about how audiences would respond to it.

“To be honest, I didn’t know if people will like this film or not. My first priority was that I have to make this film internationally,” he said.

Recalling his experiences at international film festivals, including Cannes, Davakhar said he noticed a perception surrounding Indian cinema that often focused on themes such as poverty

and casteism.

“When I was in Cannes and other festivals internationally, that time I got to know about the representation of Indian films, and how people think that the films here are about poverty and casteism,” he said.

“This is an important issue in India. But apart from that, India has a rich heritage, a proud culture. And I wanted to represent that culture in a cinematic way,” Davakhar said.

He revealed that he extensively studied international cinema and screenwriting while developing the film.

“When I was in Cannes, I used to watch three to four films a day. In 15 days, I have watched more than 40 films. So that page automatically develops. And if you want to make an international film, your making should also be according to that,” he said.

Santosh added that considerable research went into the screenplay as well, with the intention of presenting a thriller mystery in a simple and accessible manner.

“I have done a lot of research on that. I have also done a lot of research on the screenplay. And I have given people a thriller mystery in a very simple way. And along with that, I have also given a richness of rituals,” he said.

For the uninitiated, Gondhal has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars, putting the Marathi thriller in the spotlight on the international stage. The film blends mystery and thriller elements with the richness of Indian rituals and cultural traditions.

The film stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu, Suresh Vishwakarma and Vitthal Kale.