Oscars 2027: Marathi film ‘Gondhal’ is India’s official entry; know the story, cast and Oscar journey
Mumbai: India has chosen a Marathi film rooted in a traditional rural Maharashtra ritual as its official entry for the Oscars 2027. Santosh Davakhar’s Gondhal will represent India in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced the selection on Friday, with Gondhal emerging from a field of 33 films considered for the country’s Oscar submission. P Sheshadri, chairperson of the selection committee, said the jury had watched the films over the past 10 days before arriving at its choice.
The selection puts a Marathi film at the centre of India’s Oscar campaign this year, after several high-profile titles were among those submitted for consideration, including Dhurandhar, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Border 2, Haq, Main Vaapas Aaunga, Peddi and 120 Bahadur.
What is Gondhal about?
Written and directed by Davakhar, Gondhal unfolds over a single night against the backdrop of the traditional Gondhal ritual of Maharashtra.
At the heart of the story is Suman, a woman caught in an oppressive marriage. She begins plotting both a murder and an escape with her forbidden lover, setting off a story where devotion, deception and fate become increasingly difficult to separate.
The film uses the ritual and its midnight celebrations as the setting for the unfolding drama, bringing a distinctly rural Maharashtra backdrop to its story.
Who stars in Gondhal?
Ishita Deshmukh plays Suman, the central character in the film. The cast also includes Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Dhru Thoke.
The film's music has been composed by veteran musician Ilaiyaraaja.
From IFFI to the Oscars 2027 race
Gondhal had its world premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2025, where it was screened in the Indian Panorama section.
Davakhar also won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the festival, giving the film an early international festival milestone before its selection as India's Oscar entry.
The Oscar selection is the next stage of the film's journey. India's entry now enters the Academy's International Feature Film process; being selected by the FFI does not itself mean the film has secured an Oscar nomination.
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held on March 14, 2027.
Fourth Marathi film to represent India at the Oscars
Gondhal becomes the fourth Marathi-language film to be selected as India's official Oscar submission.
The earlier Marathi entries were Shwaas (2005), Harishchandrachi Factory (2009) and Court (2015).
India has yet to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Three Indian submissions have previously received nominations in the category: Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan. Water, directed by Deepa Mehta, was also nominated but represented Canada.
What happened to India's Oscar entry last year?
Last year, India selected Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound as its official Oscar submission. The film, however, did not make it to the final nominations.
With Gondhal, India will now begin another Oscar campaign, this time led by a Marathi film built around a traditional cultural setting and a dark human drama.
With PTI inputs