Marathi film 'Gondhal' is India's official entry for Oscars 2027

Marathi film 'Gondhal' has been selected as India's official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Friday.
Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, the film is set in rural Maharashtra and unfolds over a single night during a traditional ritual centred around a newlywed couple.

'Gondhal' was selected from a list of 33 films submitted to the FFI. P Sheshadri, chairperson of the selection committee, said the panel watched all 33 films over 10 days and considered several strong contenders before choosing the Marathi film.

The selection committee's final shortlist included 'Gondhal', 'Angh' and 'Ikkis'. Set against the midnight carnival of the traditional Gondhal dance in rural Maharashtra, the film follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, who plots a murder and plans to escape with her forbidden lover. The story explores themes of devotion, deception and fate.

'Gondhal' had its world premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2025 as part of the Indian Panorama section. Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the festival.
Ishita Deshmukh plays the lead role, with Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Dhru Thoke also featuring in the cast. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has scored the music for the film.

Sheshadri said the selection process was challenging, with several strong films in contention, including Aditya Dhar's spy thriller 'Dhurandhar'. The committee considered factors such as the representation of Indian culture and ethos, filmmaking, use of music and songs, performances and the human story presented on screen.

'Gondhal' is the fourth Marathi film to be selected as India's official Oscar entry. The earlier entries were 'Shwaas' (2005), 'Harishchandrachi Factory' (2009) and 'Court' (2015).
Davakhar, an IIM graduate from Thane who trained in screenplay writing at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), said the team was confident about the film's chances when it was submitted and is now preparing for an extensive promotional campaign ahead of the Oscars.

The filmmaker has previously directed short films including 'Adnyat', 'Antar 19' and 'Ajanvruksha'. The team has planned its promotional activities for the next six months as it prepares to take the film through the Academy Awards campaign.

The 33 films submitted to the FFI also included Yami Gautam's 'Haq', Aditya Dhar's 'Dhurandhar' and 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge', 'Hanuman Ansh', Sunny Deol-starrer 'Border 2', Imtiaz Ali's 'Main Vaapas Aaunga', Ram Charan's 'Peddi' and Farhan Akhtar's '120 Bahadur'.

Last year, India selected Neeraj Ghaywan's pandemic drama 'Homebound' as its official Oscar submission. However, the film did not make the final nominations.
No Indian film has won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, formerly known as the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Three Indian films have received nominations in the category: Mehboob Khan's 'Mother India', Mira Nair's 'Salaam Bombay' and Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Lagaan'. Deepa Mehta's 'Water', starring John Abraham and Lisa Ray, was also nominated, but it was submitted by Canada.
The 99th Academy Awards will take place on March 14, 2027.