What is the story about?
After 12 years, a Marathi film has been chosen to compete for the 99th Academy Award. Santosh Davakhar's acclaimed Gondhal is India's official entry to the Oscars
2027. Based on folk art from Maharashtra, the thriller was selected from 33 entries, including Dilip Prabhavalkar's Dashavatar. Gondhal, released in 2025, won critical appreciation before being showcased at the International Film Festival of India. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will be announcing the long and short list for the Oscars 2027 closer to the ceremony.
What is Gondhal in Maharashtra?
Gondhal is a ritual, normally performed by newly married couples in Maharashtra. It is done after wishes are fulfilled. The ceremony is performed by Gondhalis, who are artists dressed in vibrant traditional attire. Gondhal takes place at night and continues till morning. The participants engage in folk dance, mythological storytelling, and traditional music.
Story of Marathi film Gondhal explained
Gondhal, the movie, revolves around a simple and innocent Anand and his young bride, Suman. The ritual is led by Bhivaba. The conflict begins when Sarjerao, the son of the village Patil, attends the ceremony and feels jealous because he was supposed to marry Suman, but the arrangement did not materialise due to dowry. She is not happy in her marriage with Anand. Since she knows Sarjerao's feelings for her, she uses his obsession in her favour.
Gondhal movie cast
The Marathi folk thriller is headlined by Ishitaa Deshmukh as Suman, and Yogesh Sohoni as Anand. The rest of the cast includes Kishor Kadam, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu, Suresh Vishwakarma, Vitthal Kale, Pravin Dalimbkar and Kailash Waghmare.
Gondhal is fourth Marathi film to be chosen from India for Oscars
Gondhal is the fourth Marathi film to be chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars. The first was Shwaas in 2005, Harishchandrachi Factory in 2009, and Chaitanya Tamhane's Court in 2015.
Academy rules for entry
As per early predictions, the newly released Hindi film Hanuman Ansh was seen as a potential Oscar winner for the country. However, the makers missed the deadline. The Academy's rule says that all film submissions must be released theatrically no earlier than October 1, 2025, and no later than September 30, 2026.
Who is Santosh Davakhar?
Gondhal's director, Santosh Davakhar, won a National Film Award for his dialogue-free short film Adnyat. His next film is Shahaji Raje, which will release theatrically in 2027.
