The Marathi thriller Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced the selection on September 18, with the film set to compete in the Best International Feature category. The film was chosen from 33 submissions, including entries in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam, Konyak and Nepali. Four of the submitted films were Marathi productions.
Gondhal draws its title and cultural setting from Maharashtra’s traditional Gondhal ritual and folk-performance form. The film follows Suman, a married woman whose life takes an unexpected turn as relationships, desire and deception begin to collide. What begins as a story centred on everyday relationships gradually develops into a thriller, as Suman finds herself caught in difficult circumstances and attempts to escape them.
The film also brings together a cast that includes Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music for the film. Davakhar had earlier received the Silver Peacock Award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025. It has also received recognition at the Bengaluru International Film Festival and Pune International Film Festival.
It explores themes including love, desire, betrayal and the lengths people may go to while trying to escape situations in which they feel trapped. At the same time, it examines the significance of the centuries-old Gondhal performance tradition and its place in contemporary society.
Released on November 14, 2025, Gondhal will now represent India in the first stage of the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film race. The film’s selection follows last year’s choice of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound as India’s official Oscar entry; the film did not make the Oscars longlist. With the 99th Academy Awards scheduled for March 14, 2027, Gondhal now carries India’s official entry into the international awards season.
