MARATHI film “Gondhal” has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars 2027, the Film Federation of India announced on Friday. Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, the film is set in rural Maharashtra and plays out over a night of a traditional ritual centred around a newly-wed couple. The film was chosen as India’s submission for Best International Feature category for the 99th Academy Awards from a list of 33 films, said P Sheshadri, Chairperson of the selection committee. “This year we’ve had four Marathi films, 14 Hindi films, and others films, all the films were good. It’s a happy moment for Indian cinema, for Marathi cinema. This time the official entry is ‘Gondhal’,” Sheshadri said at a press conference here.

 

“We’ve watched 33 films in last ten days of different languages. There were many other good films for which we were debating about. ‘Angh’ and ‘Ikkis’ were in top three list apart from ‘Gondhal’,” he added. “Gondhal” had its world premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2025 in the Indian Panorama segment. Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the festival. Set against the midnight carnival of the ritualistic Gondhal dance in rural Maharashtra, the movie follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, who plots a murder and an escape with her forbidden lover, blurring the lines between devotion, deception and fate. Actor Ishita Deshmukh plays the lead role in the movie which also features Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Dhru Thoke.

 

Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has scored music for the film. Sheshadri said the selection process was challenging as the lineup featured several strong films, including Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster spy saga “Dhurandhar”. Davakhar, an IIM graduate from Thane who trained in screenplay writing at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), said he was proud to represent the country with his film. “We were confident when we made and submitted the film that it would become India’s official Oscar entry. I am proud that my film will represent India,” Davakhar told PTI. The filmmaker, who earlier made short films such as “Adnyat”, “Antar 19” and “Ajanvruksha”, said the team is now preparing for an extensive promotional campaign ahead of the Oscars. The 99th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027.