Cinema VinesIndia’s Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Friday that the Marathi-language feature “Gondhal” has been chosen as the country’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The decision came after the selection committee, chaired by P Sheshadri, reviewed 33 entries over a ten‑day period and selected “Gondhal” as the most representative of Indian culture and filmmaking prowess.
Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, “Gondhal” is set in a rural village in Maharashtra and unfolds over a single night during a traditional ritual that centers on a newlywed couple. The story follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, who conspires to murder her husband and plans to escape with a forbidden lover. Themes of devotion, deception and fate weave through the narrative, set against the midnight carnival of the traditional Gondhal dance.
Davakhar, an IIM graduate from Thane who trained in screenplay writing at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), has previously directed short films such as “Adnyat”, “Antar 19” and “Ajanvruksha”. He expressed confidence in the film’s prospects and is now preparing an extensive promotional campaign ahead of the Oscars.
The film had its world premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2025, where it was screened as part of the Indian Panorama section. Davakhar received the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the festival. The cast includes Ishita Deshmukh in the lead role, supported by Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Dhru Thoke. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja provided the score.
“Gondhal” joins three earlier Marathi films that have been selected as India’s Oscar entry: “Shwaas” (2005), “Harishchandrachi Factory” (2009) and “Court” (2015). The selection committee’s shortlist also featured “Angh” and “Ikkis”. Other notable submissions that year included Yami Gautam’s “Haq”, Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller “Dhurandhar”, Sunny Deol‑starrer “Border 2”, Imtiaz Ali’s “Main Vaapas Aaunga”, Ram Charan’s “Peddi” and Farhan Akhtar’s “120 Bahadur”.
Last year’s submission, Neeraj Ghaywan’s pandemic drama “Homebound”, did not secure a nomination. No Indian film has yet won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film.
