Sep 18, 2026 4:07pm IST
Marathi film ‘Gondhal’ chosen as India’s official Oscar 2027 entry
Marathi film “Gondhal,” directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2027, Film Federation of India (FFI) jury head P. Seshadri announced at a press conference in Mumbai.
The jury selected the film from 33 entries, four of which were Marathi films. Seshadri noted that Marathi cinema has previously represented India at the Academy Awards, with “Shwaas” and “Harishchandrachi Factory” among the films selected previously. “Gondhal” now joins that list.
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Written and directed by Davakhar, “Gondhal” is a cultural thriller rooted in Maharashtra’s traditional Gondhal ritual. The film features Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu in key roles.
Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja scored the film, while Amalendu Chaudhary is the cinematographer and Ashish Mhatre the editor.
Released on November 14, 2025, the approximately two-hour film uses the traditional folk practice as the backdrop for a story about relationships, desire, and deception.
The jury panel consisted of P Sheshadri, Vijay Patkar, Hutu Kanodia, Shanti Kumar, Sandeep Parashar, Sanjay Patil, Sabu Joseph, Anil Thomas, Vivek Vaswani, Bijon Dasgupta, Haasan, Vasan, and Tannishtha Chatterjee.
Thirty-three films were submitted this year: 14 in Hindi, four each in Marathi, Telugu and Gujarati, three in Tamil and one each in Malayalam and Nagamese, along with a silent film.
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India’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards was Neeraj Ghaywan’s “Homebound,” starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor.
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