Marathi film 'Gondhal' selected as India’s Oscars 2027 entry

On Friday, the Film Federation of India announced that Marathi film Gondhal has been selected as India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards. The movie, which was released in 2025, was directed by Santosh Davakhar, and it was a critically acclaimed film. Davakhar, in an interview, opened up about his film going to the Oscars 2027 and stated that, for him, it feels like he is going to the Olympics.While talking to Hindustan Times, Davakhar said, “It’s a really proud feeling. It’s the effort of my whole Gondhal team and great support from my family. It’s amazing to represent your country at an international level. It feels like I am going to the Olympics.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gondhal (@gondhalfilm) Further talking about Gondhal, the filmmaker said he decided to make the film according to international taste. He stated that he wanted to compete at that level.Oscars 2027: Marathi Film Gondhal Is India’s Official Entry For 99th Academy AwardsHe revealed that at film festivals like Cannes, people have the perception about Indian cinema that the films are made around 'poverty and casteism'. “I personally feel I should represent our country’s rich heritage and culture. That’s why I decided to make Gondhal,” Davakhar added.Davakhar further stated that he has gone through a lot of struggles, and it reflects in the characters of his film.Gondhal To Release In Other LanguagesDavakhar revealed that the film will be released soon in Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada. He stated that it is not a film that one should watch on OTT. The filmmaker said, “Pehla shot one take, 26 minutes ka hai. It will astonish you.” Oscar Campaign For GondhalThe filmmaker revealed that the preparations for the Oscar campaign have already started. Davakhar said that they have hired a social media team from Finland and media PR from Los Angeles. He revealed that the PR person has worked on 27 films that were nominated.“It’s a big win for regional cinema. A Marathi film, after 11 years, is going for the Oscars,” he added.

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.

Marathi film Gondhal has been chosen as India's official Oscars 2027 entry, beating 32 films including Dhurandhar and Hanuman Ansh.

Thirty-three films were submitted, out of which 14 were in Hindi, four each in Marathi, Telugu, and Gujarati, three in Tamil and one in Malayalam and Nagamese. One was also a silent film.

The Marathi film 'Gondhal' has been selected to represent India at the 99th Academy Awards. Set against the backdrop of a traditional ritual in rural Maharashtra, this film was chosen from a pool of thirty-three entries by the selection committee. Notably, it is the fourth Marathi film to earn an Oscar nomination, with the ceremony scheduled for March 14, 2027.

The Film Federation of India on Friday, September 18, 2026, announced that Marathi film Gondhal will be India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, which is going to take place in March 2027. The film, directed by Santosh Davakhar, was released in November 2025, and it starred Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Kishor Kadam, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu, Vitthal Kale. Gondhal had received positive reviews from critics.The Marathi movie was nominated for the Golden Peacock Award at the 56th International Film Festival of India, and Davakhar won the Silver Peacock Award for Best Director. Even though the film received positive reviews, reportedly, Gondhal collected only Rs. 90 lakh at the box office during its theatrical run.News Alert! Marathi film 'Gondhal' chosen as India's official entry to Oscars 2027: Film Federation of India pic.twitter.com/IoFrgst83G— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 18, 2026 Santosh Davakhar ReactsReacting to the news of his film Gondhal being India's official selection for the Oscars 2027, Davakhar posted on his Instagram story, "Hurray! What a new for team Gondhal! (sic)." Check out the post below...Marathi Films For OscarsGondhal is not the first Marathi film India is sending to the Oscars. Earlier, movies like Court, Harishchandrachi Factory, and Shwaas. However, unfortunately, none of them made it to the nomination. It will surely be interesting to see whether Gondhal will make it to the Best International Feature Film nomination or not.Oscars 2026Last year, Karan Johar's production venture Homebound was sent as India's official entry to the Oscars. The Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa starrer made it to 15 shortlisted films for Best International Feature Film, but failed to get the nomination. Oscars 2027 Date And VenueThe 99th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.We at The Free Press Journal congratulate team Gondhal and hope that it makes it to the nomination, wins the award, and makes India proud.