Mumbai, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : A significant milestone for Marathi cinema has emerged as the film ‘Gondhal,’ directed by Santosh Dawkhar, has been chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2027. The announcement was made by the Film Federation of India on Friday in Mumbai. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described this selection as a moment of pride.
In a post on Maharashtra’s official ‘X’ handle, the Chief Minister stated, “A proud moment for Marathi cinema! Director Santosh Dawkhar’s film ‘Gondhal’ has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2027. The selection committee chose ‘Gondhal’ from a pool of 33 films. This film, deeply rooted in Maharashtra’s rich folk traditions and culture, will now represent India on the international stage. Congratulations to the entire team of ‘Gondhal’! We wish this story, connected to the soil of Maharashtra, reaches new heights globally.”
‘Gondhal’ will compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. This year, India faced tough competition for the Oscar entry, with a total of 33 films vying for the spot.
Among the contenders were notable titles such as Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Main Wapas Aaunga,’ ‘Border 2,’ Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise, ‘Dug Dug,’ ‘Hak,’ ‘Bhamardo,’ ‘120 Bahadur,’ ‘Sing Geetam,’ ‘Tera Mera Nata,’ ‘Ladoo,’ ‘Oh My Dog,’ ‘Balan the Boy,’ ‘Peddy,’ ‘Irummudi,’ ‘Khunta,’ ‘Gandhi Talks,’ ‘Bison Kalamadan,’ ‘Shape of Momo,’ ‘Governor,’ ‘2020 Delhi,’ ‘Commando Win Love Story,’ ‘Pravas,’ and ‘Ikkees.’ The jury ultimately selected ‘Gondhal’ over these popular films.
The cast includes Kishore Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoi, and Anuj Prabhu in key roles. The story of ‘Gondhal’ is set against the backdrop of Maharashtra’s traditional Gondhal ritual, a night-long folk performance that showcases a unique blend of music, dance, and mythology.
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