Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi film Gondhal has been selected as India’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, the Film Federation of India announced on Sept. 18.
The film was chosen from 33 submissions considered by the FFI selection committee, chaired by filmmaker P. Seshadri. The other submissions included films in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam and Nagamese, as well as a silent film.
Set in rural Maharashtra, Gondhal unfolds against the traditional Gondhal ritual, a night-long folk performance involving music, dance and mythology. The film follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, whose relationship with a Gondhali performer sets off a chain of desire, betrayal and violence.
The film stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu. Davakhar wrote and directed the film.
Gondhal previously received the Silver Peacock for Best Director for Davakhar at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025.
The Oscar selection is the first stage of the Academy process. The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles.
Watch trailer here:
