“Dhurandhar Is Not Oscar Material”: Marathi Thriller Gondhal Gets India’s Oscar Nod

Marathi thriller Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, putting a regional story rooted in Maharashtra’s cultural traditions in the international spotlight. The Film Federation of India chose the film from 33 submissions spanning several Indian languages.

Set in rural Maharashtra against the backdrop of the traditional Gondhal ritual and folk-performance tradition, the 117-minute film follows Suman, a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, whose life changes after she becomes involved with Saheba, a charismatic Gondhali performer. Her attempt to escape her marriage develops into a darker story involving love, deception, murder and survival. The film stars Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohoni and Nishad Bhoir, with music by veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja.

Gondhal also arrives at the Oscar race with festival recognition. Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at IFFI 2025, while the film has also received recognition at the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) and the Pune International Film Festival. Its selection makes it only the fourth Marathi film to be chosen as India’s official Oscar entry.

The decision has drawn particular attention because of the presence of Dhurandhar among the major contenders. The Ranveer Singh-starrer and Dhurandhar: The Revenge were considered by the jury despite the franchise’s reported ₹3,000-crore-plus worldwide box-office haul. Yet Film Federation of India jury member Vivek Vaswani revealed that Dhurandhar received only four votes from the 14-member panel.

Explaining the decision, Vaswani said that while some jury members liked the film, the panel “didn't think that it was Oscar material.” He also said the jury felt the Dhurandhar films did not represent Indian culture in the manner it was looking for in the country’s Oscar submission. This was the jury’s assessment of the film for the selection process, not an official judgment by the Academy.

The jury’s final three were Gondhal, Angh and Main Vaapas Aaunga, before Gondhal emerged as the final choice.

The 99th Oscars are scheduled for March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Gondhal’s selection does not guarantee a final nomination, but its journey puts a distinctly Marathi story and one of Maharashtra’s traditional cultural forms before a global audience.