The makers of Gondhal, the Marathi film that was selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027) on September 18, 2026, have now locked a pan-India release plan for their film. The Marathi film will release in theatres all over the country on November 13.
Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, and set against the backdrop of rural Maharashtra, Gondhal dives into a dark, suspenseful web of obsession and betrayal. The narrative follows Suman, a young woman trapped in a suffocating and unhappy marriage. Seeking a way out, she exploits her lover Sarjerao's deep, fanatic obsession with the sacred traditional Gondhal ritual. As an overnight folk ritual unfolds under the cover of darkness, local power struggles, hidden motives, and secret betrayals collide, turning a sacred village night into a tense, dangerous game of crime and consequence before dawn.
Produced under Davakhar Films, the film has a stellar cast including Kishor Kadam, Ishitaa Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir, and Anuj Prabhu. The film's crew also includes Ilaiyaraaja as the music director and Amalendu Chaudhary as the cinematographer.
Santosh Davakhar said on the occasion, "When we set out to make Gondhal, our goal was to stay fiercely true to the raw culture, haunting rhythms, and untold layers of our soil. To see this deeply rooted folk-thriller become India's official Oscar entry is an overwhelming honor. "Cinema has no language barriers when the emotion is raw and honest. Now, bringing it to audiences across the country feels like bringing the story back full circle.”
Gondhal was selected for Best International Feature Film category by the Film Federation of India (FFI) on September 18, past films like Main Vaapas Aaunga and Angh. Besides Marathi, the film will release in dub versions in Hindi, Tami, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
