Overview
- The Film Federation of India’s 14-member committee unanimously chose Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi film Gondhal on Friday, September 18, 2026, selecting it from a field of 33 submissions.
- Gondhal is a Marathi-language thriller rooted in the Gondhal ritual of rural Maharashtra and has earned festival recognition, including Santosh Davakhar’s Silver Peacock at IFFI and a FIPRESCI prize.
- The filmmakers have begun an international push, hiring a Los Angeles PR representative and a Finland-based social media team and planning wider releases to raise the film’s visibility for Academy voters.
- Being India’s official submission moves Gondhal into the Academy’s International Feature Film process but does not guarantee a nomination; AMPAS will announce a 15-film shortlist in mid-December 2026 and the final nominees in January 2027 ahead of the March 14, 2027 ceremony.
- As the fourth Marathi film India has ever submitted, Gondhal’s selection highlights regional cinema’s place in India’s Oscar strategy and could expand the film’s distribution and festival opportunities while placing new pressure on the team’s six-month promotional campaign.