Santosh Davakhar's Marathi film Gondhal selected as India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards

Key facts

• Marathi film Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been chosen as India's official entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) from 33 contenders.
• Gondhal is a 117-minute thriller set in rural Maharashtra over one night against the backdrop of the traditional Gondhal ritual, starring Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohoni and Nishad Bhoir.
• Santosh Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for Gondhal.
• Gondhal is the fourth Marathi film to be India's official Oscar entry, after Shwaas (2005), Harishchandrachi Factory (2009) and Court (2015).
• The 99th Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, hosted by Conan O'Brien for the third consecutive year.
• India is yet to win the Best International Feature Film award, with only Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan having reached the final nominations.