18 September,2026 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Gondhal. Pic via District
Marathi cinema is all set to head to the Oscars 2027, with Gondhal being selected as India's official entry at the 99th Academy Awards. The film helmed by Santosh Davakhar will be competing under the Best International Feature Film category.
The Film Federation of India (FFI) on Friday announced the selection. The entry thus brings a Marathi film and a story rooted in Maharashtra's cultural traditions to the international spotlight. Chairperson of the selection committee, P Seshadri, said the film was selected as India's Oscar 2027 entry from a list of 33 contenders.
With that, Gondhal also becomes the fourth Marathi film to be chosen as India's official entry for the Oscars. Earlier films like Harishchandrachi Factory (2009), Shwaas (2005) and Court (2015), have previously represented India in the competition for the Academy Awards.
Notably, before its Oscars run, the film has already gained recognition in the festival circuit. Filmmaker Davakhar has won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Gondhal is a thriller set against the backdrop of the traditional midnight ritual, which also inspires the film's name. Set in rural Maharashtra, the film unfolds over one night, showing the charged atmosphere of the traditional Gondhal ritual. Running for 117 minutes, the film is written and directed by Santosh Davakhar. It stars Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohoni and Nishad Bhoir in key roles.
The story revolves around Suman (Ishita Deshmukh), a young woman living a comfortable married life with a wealthy man named Anand (Yogesh Sohoni); however, she is far from happy. However, her life takes a different turn when she falls for Saheba, a Gondhali performer.
Wanting to escape from her unhappy marriage, Suman comes up with a risky plan. She pulls Anand's obsessed cousin Sarjerao (Nishad Bhoir) into her plan to help her escape. What starts off as an attempt to reclaim her freedom soon leads to murder. The series of events forces young Suman to navigate a dangerous mix of love, betrayal, manipulation and survival.
