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India selection for 99th Academy Awards

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2026-09-20 21:57 UTC → 2026-10-03 06:51 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Film Federation of India has selected the Marathi psychological thriller ‘Gondhal’, directed by Santosh Davakhar, as the country’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards in 2027. Chosen from a pool of 33 submissions, the film is set in rural Maharashtra and centers on the traditional ‘Gondhal’ ritual. Director Davakhar indicated that the film was crafted with an international perspective to compete globally, aiming to move beyond common international perceptions of Indian cinema. While high-profile domestic films like ‘Dhurandhar’ were part of the selection process, the jury noted that ‘Gondhal’ better met specific criteria for cultural representation. Following the selection, the production team, led by producer Diksha Davakhar under Davakhar Films, announced a special campaign to build momentum for the Oscar bid. This includes paid previews in major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. The film, which has previously received accolades including the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India and the FIPRESCI Award at the Bengaluru International Film Festival, will initially hold previews in Marathi and Hindi before a wider multilingual theatrical release including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada versions. The production team has been preparing for an international awards campaign for approximately one year. Davakhar described the selection as a “great blessing” and noted that the upcoming months will involve an intensive campaign to secure votes from Academy members.

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