Marathi Thriller Gondhal Is India’s Official Entry for Oscars 2027

Gondhal, a arathi thriller film directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been chosen as the official representative of India for the 99th Academy Awards which is set to take place on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles. This decision was made by the Film Federation of India on September 18, 2026. Set amid the folklore performance of Gondhal from the state of Maharashtra, the film is the combination of relationships, betrayal, deception and a thriller.

Gondhal Selected as India’s Oscar Entry

Film Federation of India chose the Gondhal as India’s representation in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.

A total of 33 films were considered for this purpose. They included 14 Hindi films, four each in Marathi, Telugu and Gujarati languages, three Tamil films and one each in Malayalam and Nagamese languages. A silent film was also among the considered films.

Other movies competing for selection were the Naga language movie Angh and Tamil film Dorothy.

Narrative and Cultural Background of Gondhal

Santosh Davakar directs the movie Gondhal. The storyline follows the life of Suman, a married woman who is forced into difficult situations by the complexities of love, desire, and deception.

In addition to being a movie that follows the story of Suman, the film highlights Maharashtra’s Gondhal, an age-old tradition of folk performances. With such a cultural background, the film brings into light the elements like love, betrayal and human relationships in modern times.

Cast and Awards

Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu are some of the actors in the movie. Music for the movie has been composed by Ilaiyaraaja, a renowned veteran composer.

Gondhal was also honored at Bengaluru International Film Festival and Pune International Film Festival. The previous directorial work of Davakhar was honored with the Silver Peacock Award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025.

Gondhal was released in India on November 14, 2025.

Oscars 2027: Important Details

The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles.

The official entry from India is considered for the Best International Feature Film award. Getting selected as an official entry for India doesn’t ensure that the film gets nominated for the Oscars; there is another process of selection of the film by the Academy.

Last year, the official entry for India was Homebound directed by Neeraj Ghaywan with Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa in the leading roles. It didn’t make it to the Oscar longlist, being made in the COVID-19 era.