India selects the Marathi thriller “Gondhal” as its official entry for the 99th Academy Awards. The decision comes after an FFI jury evaluates films submitted for consideration, and it also brings renewed attention to “Dhurandhar,” a Ranveer Singh-starrer that was among the contenders. A jury member, Vivek Vaswani, explains that “Dhurandhar” did not progress as a frontrunner in the final voting.
Vaswani says the 14-member jury gave “Dhurandhar” four votes, adding that only “a couple of people” liked it, but the panel did not view it as Oscar material. He also links the outcome to the jury’s criteria, describing that the film it chose needed to represent Indian culture in a particular way. “Gondhal” ultimately is picked from 33 submissions, with the last shortlist including three films: “Gondhal,” “Angh,” and “Maine Vaapas Aaunga.”
The outlets align on the vote count and the broad reasoning. They differ mainly in emphasis: one report focuses on Vaswani’s comments about “Dhurandhar’s” shortcomings for the jury’s cultural expectations, while another highlights that “Gondhal’s” portrayal of Indian traditions is a key factor in its selection.
