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Gondhal has made Marathi cinema proud after beating several biggies, including Dhurandhar, to become India's official selection for the Oscars 2026. Amid
this, Anurag Kashyap's statement on the selection process has left the internet divided. In a recent interview, the filmmaker remarked that India has had a history of picking the "absolutely wrong films" for the Academy Awards. He explained that films need exposure at international festivals to compete with other entries and claimed that there is too much politics involved in the selection process. He, however, admitted that he had not watched Gondhal and could not comment on it. The movie's director has now reacted to the filmmaker's comments.
Anurag Kashap On India's Oscar Selection Process
In an interview with Variety India, Anurag Kashyap weighed in on why India's official entries films rarely make it to the Oscars. He said, "Because we select absolutely wrong films. Even if we did have the chance to select the right ones like The Lunchbox and All We Imagine As Light, we messed it up."
He alleged that there is too much politics involved in the selection process. Kashyap added that a lack of awareness was another issue. He pointed out that the competition at the Oscars was particularly tough this year and that it would be difficult to beat the international entries. However, he said it was too early for him to comment on Gondhal as he had not seen the selected film or the other submissions.
He further said that the most important eligibility criterion should be for a film to have been screened at an international film festival outside India or secured American distribution before the end of the year. According to him, Gondhal should first focus on getting screened at international festivals as spending money on screenings or advertising without an audience would be a waste Anurag also pointed out that the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is a recognised Indian film festival. He suggested that if Gondhal had won the Silver Peacock there, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) should help its regional IFFI winners get selected for international festivals and gain wider exposure.
Gondhal Director REACTS To Anurag Kashyap's Comment
Director Santosh Davakhar has reacted to Kashyap's comments. Taking to the comments section of the entertainment portal's post, he wrote, "I deeply respect Anurag Kashyap Sir and his filmmaking. On the Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on 26 April at 23:55, I introduced GONDHAL to him. He said he hadn't heard of or watched it, but would definitely do so. Since then, it has neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai."
Davakhar also made a humble request to audiences to watch the film before passing a verdict. He said that Gondhal, made by a debut filmmaker from outside the film fraternity, is a psychological thriller that blends Marathi culture with global appeal. He added that the film was created for the big screen and not OTT.
He also acknowledged the responsibility of representing India and said that the team would not let the country down. He urged audiences to watch the film in theatres when it returns for a re-release and support the team as they take it to the international stage.
