Marathi psychological thriller ‘Gondhal’ is giving audiences an early chance to watch the film ahead of its worldwide release. The makers have announced special paid previews from October 10 at select theatres and cities across India.

The announcement was shared by Davakhar Films on Instagram on Thursday. The film is produced by Diksha Davakhar under the Davakhar Films banner and directed by Santosh Davakhar.

The production house described Gondhal as a cerebral psychological thriller that draws from Indian culture while exploring the complexities of the human mind. The film has also been selected as India's official submission for the 99th Academy Awards.

Gondhal heads for the Oscars

Speaking about the film's selection as India's official entry, Santosh Davakhar said the team had been preparing for the possibility for nearly a year.

“We were confident that the entire Gondhal team had made a good product. For the last year, we have been preparing for this. We were going to attempt the Oscars one way or the other,” the filmmaker said.

He called the selection a “great blessing” but also acknowledged the responsibility that comes with representing India on the international stage.

“When you go in front of the Oscars voters, that means you are representing your nation. It’s a big responsibility for our team, for Team Gondhal, and for me as a director as well,” he said.

Davakhar also said he had made the film with the hope that it would eventually draw the attention of technicians and members of the wider Indian film industry.

“I made the film in a way that there will come a time when all the technicians in India who are connected to the film line from some angle, everyone will look for this film,” he said.

For Davakhar, the Academy selection is not simply about competing with other Indian films. He views the film's Oscar journey as an opportunity to represent the larger Indian film industry.

The filmmaker also expects the coming months to involve an extensive campaign aimed at introducing Gondhal to Academy members. “The next few months are going to be full of hard work, as we will need to gain at least 6,000 to 7,000 votes,” he said.

‘Gondhal’ features Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu in key roles.