Gondhal selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards

The Marathi-language film ‘Gondhal’, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards. The film was chosen from a pool of 33 contenders by the Film Federation of India.

Director Santosh Davakhar stated that the film was crafted with an international approach to better compete on the global stage. He noted that while other films in the selection process, such as the Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Dhurandhar’, were highly successful with domestic audiences, ‘Gondhal’ was designed with a specific perspective intended for international voters.

The production team has been preparing for an international awards campaign for approximately one year. Davakhar described the selection as a “great blessing” and a significant responsibility, noting that the upcoming months will require an intensive campaign to secure the necessary votes from Academy members.