Marathi psychological thriller Gondhal is selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards. Director Santosh Davakhar urges audiences to watch the film before judging it, following public criticism from filmmaker Anurag Kashyap regarding India’s Oscar selection track record.
The announcement that Marathi film Gondhal has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category has sparked a debate over the country’s selection process for the global stage.
Anurag Kashyap Questions India’s Oscar Selections
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap voiced strong skepticism regarding India’s historical choices for the Academy Awards, arguing in an interview with Variety India that the nation routinely overlooks superior contenders. In the interview, he contended that India often selects the wrong films and pointed to acclaimed past features as missed opportunities.
Because we select absolutely wrong films. Even if we did have the chance to select the right ones like The Lunchbox and All We Imagine As Light, we messed it up.
Anurag Kashyap
Kashyap agreed that there is too much politics in the selection process and said the issue was also a lack of awareness. While acknowledging that he had not yet seen Gondhal or many of the other submissions and that it was too early to comment on the selected film, he emphasized that the competition at the Oscars is particularly tough this year and that it would be difficult to beat the international entries. He added that the most important qualification for eligibility should be that the film should have gone to some international festival outside India or should have had American distribution or should have had an American distributor before year-end, noting that Gondhal should first try to get seen at festivals. He also noted that the IFFI is a recognised Indian film festival, and that if Gondhal won the Silver Peacock there, NFDC should play a role in submitting its Regional IFFI winners for international festivals for exposure.
Director Santosh Davakhar Responds to Criticism
Director Santosh Davakhar responded in the comments section of the publication’s social media post, detailing an encounter with Kashyap earlier in the year and appealing to the public for a fair chance.
I deeply respect Anurag Kashyap Sir and his filmmaking. On the Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on 26 April at 23:55, I introduced GONDHAL to him. He said he hadn’t heard of or watched it, but would definitely do so. Since then, it has neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai.
Santosh Davakhar
Davakhar urged viewers to watch the film before passing a verdict. Emphasizing that he is a debut filmmaker operating outside the traditional film fraternity, he highlighted the cultural roots and theatrical design of his work.
My humble request to all audiences, please watch the film before passing a verdict. Made by a debut filmmaker from outside the film fraternity, GONDHAL is a psychological thriller blending Marathi culture with global appeal.
Santosh Davakhar
Inside the Marathi Psychological Thriller
Released in November 2025, Gondhal is a 2025 Marathi psychological thriller written and directed by Santosh Davakhar. The film is rooted in the traditional Gondhal ritual, a centuries-old Maharashtrian folk performance involving devotional singing, music and dance. The psychological thriller stars Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Kishor Kadam, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Vitthal Kale in key roles.
As the film prepares for an upcoming theatrical re-release, Davakhar stressed that the production was built explicitly for cinema screens rather than streaming platforms.
It is created for the big screen-not OTT. We understand the responsibility of representing India and will not let our country down. Please watch it in theatres upon its upcoming re-release and stand behind us as we face the world.
Santosh Davakhar
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