Marathi film Gondhal has been chosen as India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The selection has sparked a debate after filmmaker Anurag Kashyap questioned India's choice, arguing that the country has often missed opportunities to send films that he felt had stronger international prospects.
What's Happening
Gondhal director Santosh Davakhar has responded to Kashyap's comments. He shared his response in the comments section of a social media post discussing the filmmaker's remarks.
Davakhar said that he respects Kashyap and recalled meeting him earlier this year. According to the director, the two met on a Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on April 26, where he introduced Kashyap to Gondhal.
He wrote, "I deeply respect Anurag Kashyap Sir and his filmmaking. On the Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on 26 April at 23:55, I introduced GONDHAL to him. He said he hadn't heard of or watched it, but would definitely do so. Since then, it has neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai."
Davakhar also urged audiences to watch the film before forming an opinion about it. He highlighted that Gondhal comes from a debut filmmaker outside the traditional film industry and described it as a psychological thriller that combines elements of Marathi culture with a wider appeal.
He concluded, "My humble request to all audiences, please watch the film before passing a verdict. Made by a debut filmmaker from outside the film fraternity, GONDHAL is a psychological thriller blending Marathi culture with global appeal. It is created for the big screen-not OTT. We understand the responsibility of representing India and will not let our country down. Please watch it in theatres upon its upcoming re-release and stand behind us as we face the world."
What Did Anurag Kashyap Say?
Anurag Kashyap cited The Lunchbox and All We Imagine As Light while discussing films that, in his view, should have been selected for the Oscars.
He also spoke about the importance of international festival exposure and distribution for a film hoping to make an impact at the Academy Awards.
He added, "The most important qualification for eligibility should be that the film should have gone to some international festival outside India or should have had American distribution or should have had an American distributor before year-end. Gondhal should first try to get seen at festivals. That has to be the first step, or all the money spent on screenings or advertising is a waste. Also, the IFFI is a recognised Indian film festival. If Gondhal won the Silver Peacock there, NFDC should play a role in submitting its Regional IFFI winners for international festivals for exposure."
More About Gondhal
Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal is a Marathi psychological thriller featuring Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Kishor Kadam, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Vitthal Kale.
The film takes inspiration from the traditional Gondhal ritual, a centuries-old Maharashtrian folk performance that combines devotional singing, music and dance.
Davakhar has previously been recognised at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where he won the Silver Peacock for Best Director for Gondhal. The film is now set to represent India in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
