India has picked its Oscar hopeful, and it’s a Marathi folk thriller that feels raw, rooted, and surprisingly modern. The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced Gondhal as the country’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027), choosing it from 33 submissions after a tight shortlist that included titles like Dhurandhar and Hanuman Ansh.
All About Gondhal Movie
Gondhal is a 2025 Marathi-language thriller written and directed by Santosh Davakhar. Set over one intense night in rural Maharashtra, the film uses the traditional Gondhal ritual—a devotional performance with music, dance, and storytelling—as both backdrop and metaphor.
At its core, it’s a story about desire, power, and the price of escaping a life that feels suffocating. But it’s also about community, folklore, and how old customs can become mirrors for very new conflicts.
The narrative follows Suman, a young newlywed who feels trapped in her marriage to Anand. During a Gondhal ceremony at a Patil family home, old flames and fresh jealousies collide. Sarjerao, the son of the village’s powerful Patil, is obsessed with Suman, while Suman herself is drawn to another man, Sahebrao.
What begins as emotional tension slowly turns into a dangerous game. Suman starts plotting a way out—using Sarjerao’s feelings, the cover of the ritual, and the chaos of the night to push events toward a violent breaking point. As secrets surface and loyalties crack, the ceremony becomes a stage for betrayal, revenge, and survival.
The film doesn’t spell everything out. It lets silence, glances, and the rhythm of the Gondhal performance carry as much meaning as dialogue. By dawn, when the ritual ends, the village is left with blood, broken relationships, and truths that can’t be unspoken.
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Why this film stands out
For one, Gondhal is deeply rooted in Maharashtra’s folk culture but told with the pace and tension of a thriller. Critics have praised how it blends darkness, ritual, and the slow emergence of truth into something cinematic and emotionally heavy.
It’s also technically ambitious. Reports highlight a reportedly continuous 25-minute-long take, which adds to the immersive, night-long feeling of the story. That choice makes the audience feel like they’re walking with the performers through the village, lantern in hand, as everything unravels.
Made on a modest budget of around ₹4 crore, the film proves that strong writing, cultural specificity, and confident direction can outweigh big-star casting and glossy production.
Cast and performances
The film is led by Ishita Deshmukh as Suman, with Yogesh Sohoni as Anand, Kishor Kadam as Bhivaba (the Gondhali performer), Nishad Bhoir as Sarjerao, and Anuj Prabhu as Sahebrao. Suresh Vishwakarma plays the elder Patil, whose family’s power casts a long shadow over the village.
Dhruv Thoke appears as Vishnu, Bhivaba’s grandson, adding a generational layer to the ritual’s journey through the night. Together, the cast creates a world where every character feels connected by history, fear, and unspoken rules.
Awards and recognition
Even before its Oscar selection, Gondhal had already made waves on the festival circuit:
- At the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025, Santosh Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director.
- It received the FIPRESCI Award at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (2026).
- At the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) 2026, it won Best Director and Best Cinematographer.
- It also secured Best Director at the 22nd Third Eye Asian International Film Festival (2026).
These wins signal that the film resonates not just as “regional cinema,” but as a work with universal emotional stakes.
Music and Songs
The soundtrack is composed by legendary Ilaiyaraaja, with songs like “Chandana,” “Malhari,” and “Naman” weaving folk textures into the film’s tense atmosphere. The music doesn’t just accompany the story; it becomes part of the ritual itself, blurring the line between performance and reality.
Why it matters for Indian cinema?
Gondhal arrives at a time when Indian audiences and juries are increasingly open to stories that feel local but speak globally. Its selection as India’s Oscar 2027 entry shows a shift toward films that trust their cultural roots instead of smoothing them out for wider appeal.
It’s a reminder that India’s best stories often live in its smallest villages, in its oldest traditions, and in the quiet conflicts of ordinary people.
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The film was released in theatres in Maharashtra on 14 November 2025 and is in Marathi. For viewers outside the Marathi-speaking audience, subtitles do the heavy lifting, but the emotions—fear, longing, rage, hope—translate easily.
Watch the trailer of ‘Gondhal’ here –