India has officially chosen the film it hopes will make an impact at next year’s Academy Awards.
The Marathi thriller Gondhal has been selected as India’s official entry for “Best International Feature Film” at the 99th Academy Awards, beating out 32 other submissions for the opportunity to represent the country.
Directed and written by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal originally had its theatrical run in November 2025 and had already attracted attention on the film festival circuit before receiving its latest recognition.
The movie is rooted in Maharashtrian culture, using the traditional Gondhal folk ritual as the backdrop for a psychological thriller involving desire, deception, revenge and escape.
What Is Gondhal About?
The story unfolds over the course of a single night during a traditional midnight Jagran Gondhal ritual in rural Maharashtra.
At the center of the film is Suman, played by Ishita Deshmukh, a young bride trapped in a difficult marriage. She uses a local performer’s obsession with her as part of a plan for escape and revenge, transforming the sacred folk setting into an increasingly tense psychological game.
The cast also includes Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu.
The Oscar selection follows an already successful festival run for the movie. Davakhar received the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025, while Gondhal also received recognition at the Bengaluru International Film Festival and other festival platforms.
But Where Can You Watch Gondhal?
That is currently the frustrating part.
Despite now being India’s official Oscar submission, Gondhal is not currently available on a major streaming platform, and no official OTT partner or streaming premiere date has been announced as of September 19. It is also currently listed as unavailable to rent or purchase digitally.
That means the Oscar announcement could introduce the film to a much larger audience, but many of those newly interested viewers currently have no way to see it.
The selection itself is also an exciting moment for Marathi cinema, with a regional film now representing India on one of the biggest international stages.
Of course, being selected as India’s official entry is only the beginning of the Oscar journey; Gondhal will still need to make it through the Academy’s selection process to become an official nominee.
For now, though, Gondhal is officially carrying India’s hopes into the 2027 Oscars, and hopefully, its newfound attention means audiences will soon get a chance to actually watch it.
