‘Gondhal’ gets Oscar call: Marathi thriller is India’s 2027 entry

Santosh Davakhar’s film, set around a traditional Gondhal ritual and a woman’s troubled marriage, chosen from 33 films; 99th Academy Awards scheduled for March 14, 2027

Mumbai, September 18

Marathi film “Gondhal” has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, the Film Federation of India announced in Mumbai on Friday. The film was chosen from 33 submissions for the Best International Feature Film category.

Directed by Santosh Davakhar, “Gondhal” is a thriller set in rural Maharashtra against the backdrop of the traditional Gondhal ritual, a night-long folk performance combining music, dance and mythology. The film follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, whose attraction to Saheba, a charismatic Gondhali performer, sets in motion a dangerous chain of deception, desire and violence. It stars Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu.

The film had earlier won Davakhar the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025.

The selection is India’s official submission, not yet an Oscar nomination. The Academy will first select a 15-film shortlist before arriving at the final five nominees.

The 99th Oscars will be held on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will air live on ABC and Hulu at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT, with the telecast reaching more than 200 territories worldwide. For India, that corresponds to early morning on March 15.