Marathi film Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, 2027, in the Best International Feature Film category. The Film Federation of India selected the film from 33 submitted films.

What is Gondhal?

• Set in rural Maharashtra, the film is built around the traditional Gondhal ritual and folk-performance tradition. 
• The story combines tradition with themes of personal desire, relationships, conflict and human vulnerability.
• The Gondhal tradition is a ritualistic performance associated with devotional practices in Maharashtra, involving music, dance, narration and ceremonial elements. 
• Director Santosh Davakhar has explained that he grew up seeing the tradition and deliberately built the film around it.

Thus, the film is significant not merely as a cinema story but as an example of how intangible cultural heritage can become a medium of contemporary storytelling.

Why is it important for Indian culture?

Gondhal demonstrates how regional cinema can carry local traditions to an international audience.

• The film brings a relatively specific Maharashtrian folk tradition into the global cinematic space.
• It shows how traditional cultural practices can be interpreted through modern storytelling without completely separating them from their social context.
• Its international journey highlights the role of regional-language cinema in India’s cultural diversity.
• It also illustrates how cinema can contribute to the documentation and wider visibility of intangible cultural heritage.
• The film had already received recognition before its Oscar selection. 

• Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025, with the jury praising the film’s command of tradition, form and narrative.

India and the Oscars

• The Film Federation of India is authorised to select India’s film for consideration in the International Feature Film category. 
• Its official records describe the submission process and eligibility requirements.
• Being selected as India’s official entry does not automatically mean nomination for an Academy Award. 
• The submitted film enters the Academy’s subsequent selection process.

Exam Hook

Key Takeaway: Gondhal shows how regional cinema can preserve local traditions while presenting India’s cultural diversity to a global audience.

One-line Wrap: When local traditions find a place on the global screen, cinema becomes both a storyteller and a carrier of cultural memory.