Cinema VinesOn Friday, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced that Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi thriller Gondhal will be India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 14, 2027, at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. The film, which runs 117 minutes, follows the story of Suman (Ishita Deshmukh), a woman trapped in a seemingly comfortable marriage to the affluent Anand (Yogesh Sohoni). After falling for Saheba, a performer in the traditional Gondhal ritual, Suman devises a risky plan to escape her life, involving Anand’s obsessed cousin Sarjerao (Nishad Bhoir). What begins as a bid for freedom spirals into murder, forcing Suman to navigate a perilous mix of love, betrayal, manipulation and survival.
Set in rural Maharashtra, Gondhal is named after the midnight ritual that frames its narrative. Davakhar, who both wrote and directed the film, previously earned the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India. P. Seshadri, chairperson of the FFI’s selection committee, confirmed that the film was chosen from a pool of 33 contenders.
This marks the fourth Marathi film to be selected as India’s Oscar entry, following Harishchandrachi Factory (2009), Shwaas (2005) and Court (2015). While India has yet to secure a win in the Best International Feature Film category, three Indian films—Mother India, Saalaam Bombay and Lagaan—have previously received final nominations. Last year, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound was chosen as the country’s entry but did not make the final list.
Conan O’Brien will host the 99th Academy Awards for the third consecutive year. The ceremony promises to bring together Hollywood’s biggest names and celebrate cinematic achievements on the global stage.
