Dilip Prabhavalkar's ‘Dashavatar’ first ever Marathi film to make it to Oscar contention list for Best Movie

Critically acclaimed Marathi film Dashavatar has made it to the official Oscar contention list for the 98th edition of the Academy Awards. The movie, which was released on September 12, 2025, stars Dilip Prabhavalkar in the lead role and was written and directed by Subodh Khanolkar.

Dashavatar has been selected for the contention list for the best movie, Subodh Khanolkar said. The list is drawn by taking into consideration all the entries from around the world. It's prepared from among over 2000 films; around 150-200 movies make the cut.

As the process moves forward, the list is shortened further until the final set of nominees for each category is announced on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 15, 2026.

Dashavatar – Story and box-office returns

In the film, Prabhavalkar stars as Babuli Mestri – an ageing folk performer known for portraying the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Due to advanced age, he is losing his eyesight, and the doctor advises him to quit the stage. He decides to perform one last time as various events around him build up to a thrilling crescendo.

The movie was reportedly made on a budget of ₹5 crore and managed to earn ₹28.47 crore worldwide.

Reactions to Dashavatar’s selection

Subodh Khanolkar himself took to Instagram to share the news of his movie being selected for the contention list and expressed pride in the fact that a Marathi movie is going to make its mark on the global stage.

“Dashavtar is probably the first Marathi film selected in the main competition category. This is the only Marathi film among the 150+ films selected from thousands of films. And this is the first Marathi movie to be shown in the Academy Screening Room!” he said.

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The producers of the movie – Ocean Film Company – also termed the news a ‘landmark moment’ for regional cinema. Zee Studios termed the latest achievement a “historic moment for Marathi cinema.”

India’s official entry for Oscars

While Dashavatar has, on its own, made it to the Oscar shortlist, India’s official entry for the International Feature Film category is Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, Vishal Jethwa and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan.

Around 86 countries had nominated movies for this category, and 15 were shortlisted for consideration in the next round. Homebound has made it to this stage. Academy members are invited to watch all 15 films before voting to choose the best.