Sep 19, 2026 3:03pm IST
P. Seshadri On ‘Gondhal’ Beating 33 Other Films, ‘Dhurandhar’ Included, For Official Indian Entry For Oscars 2027 (EXCLUSIVE)
What really happened inside the Oscar selection process? Jury member P. Seshadri gives an exclusive glimpse into the 33-film race, revealing the top contenders, why “Dhurandhar” missed out, and the challenges faced by regional cinema.
On ‘Gondhal’ ’s selection
Seshadri says, “If the film is good, you don’t need to fight for it. It will automatically get its place. Unanimous doesn’t mean that the film is ultimate—that much I can’t tell, but among the lot of 33, this is the best. That much I can tell.”
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On the Marathi submissions
He notes, “Some were too inferior, I’ll tell you. I can’t mention the names… I saw a few very bad Marathi films. I am very sorry to say that.”
Top 5 contenders
“‘Ikkis’ was there, ‘Angh’ was there, ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ and ‘Dorothy.’ ‘Dhurandhar’ was not in the top five, it was in the Top 10.”
On ‘Dhurandhar’ missing out
“There are guidelines for selecting films for Oscars. 60% of the content has to take place in India… Whereas in ‘Dhurandhar,’ 80% of the story happens in Karachi… So how can we select the film? It does not comply with those guidelines.”
On ‘Hanuman Ansh’
He observes, “It didn’t even reach the top 10; it was not there.”
On regional cinema needing support
He opines, “It is my advice and request that they should promote these films. Only then will regional cinema grow. They need support because these films are made on shoestring budgets. They don’t have money to promote their films. If someone of the stature of Aamir Khan said his promotion budget doubled the production budget for ‘Lagaan,’ what is the future of ‘Kondhaval’ and those kinds of films? They definitely need support.”
On silent films submitted
“There was a silent film made by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao titled ‘Sing Geetham.’ It was good, but somehow it didn’t come up,” he shares.
On ‘Angh’’s eligibility
“It is censored, but the rule says it should be released by September 30 and run for seven days in India. If they release it, it will not meet the criteria unless they give an affidavit promising the release. If they don’t release it at all, it will be disqualified by the Oscars. These are things even the producers should take care of.”
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