Mumbai, September 19, 2026 – The Marathi film Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027).
The announcement was made on Friday, September 18, by the Film Federation of India (FFI) at a press conference in Mumbai. Jury head P. Seshadri stated that the film was chosen from a total of 33 submissions after detailed deliberations. The selection was described as unanimous.
About the Film
Gondhal is a cultural and psychological thriller set in rural Maharashtra. The story unfolds over a single night during the traditional Gondhal ritual — a folk performance involving music, dance and mythology. The narrative centres on a newly-wed couple and follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, as she navigates desire, deception and fate against the backdrop of the sacred tradition.
The film stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu in key roles. Music has been composed by the veteran Ilaiyaraaja, with cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary.
Gondhal was released theatrically on November 14, 2025. It premiered at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2025, where Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director. The film has also received the FIPRESCI Award at the Bengaluru International Film Festival and other festival honours.
Selection Details
Thirty-three films across various Indian languages were submitted for consideration this year, including 14 in Hindi and four in Marathi. Other strong contenders mentioned by the jury included Angh and Ikkis. High-profile titles such as Dhurandhar were also among the entries.
This marks the fourth time a Marathi film has been chosen as India’s official Oscar submission, following Shwaas (2005), Harishchandrachi Factory (2009) and Court (2015). Last year, India had submitted Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound.
The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The Academy is expected to announce a shortlist of 15 films in December 2026, followed by the final five nominations in January 2027.
The selection has been widely welcomed as a moment of pride for Marathi cinema and for Indian regional filmmaking on the global stage.