The FFI’s decision was announced after a competitive round that also featured Sriram Raghavan’s ‘Ikkis’, Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’, Yami Gautam’s ‘Haq’, Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ and Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Dorothy’, among others.
Director Santosh Davakhar expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying the selection carries “extreme nervousness” and a “huge responsibility” but also excitement at being chosen over many notable titles.
‘Gondhal’ is set over a single night in a Maharashtrian village where a traditional ritual celebrates a newlywed couple, but the festivities turn deadly as the bride conspires with her lover to escape a forced marriage.
The film opens with a 25‑minute, single‑take sequence that introduces its world and characters, a technique Davakhar says was inspired by one‑take films such as ‘Roma’, ‘1917’ and ‘Birdman’. He also secured veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja for the soundtrack, marking the maestro’s third Marathi credit.
With this selection, ‘Gondhal’ becomes the first Marathi film in 11 years to represent India at the Oscars, following Chaitanya Tamhane’s ‘Court’ (2015), and the fourth Marathi feature ever submitted after ‘Shwaas’ (2005) and ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ (2009).
The director has assembled a team of 30‑40 people to run an Oscar‑campaign and plans to re‑release the film in theatres next month in five languages, urging audiences to watch it to boost its visibility among the Academy’s roughly 10,000 voters.
Davakhar noted that the film’s modest box‑office performance in its December 2025 theatrical run may have been affected by its use of newer actors and its low‑budget, non‑commercial profile, but he hopes the re‑release will generate the word‑of‑mouth needed for the awards push.