Director Santosh Davakhar claims that the “Gondhal” team was “confident” about being chosen for the Oscars.

The team behind Gondhal, India’s official entry for the 2027 Academy Awards, was “confident” about the film’s prospects, according to director Santosh Davakhar, and they hope that its celebration of the nation’s rich cultural legacy will strike a chord with viewers around the world.

The thriller in Marathi was chosen as India’s entry for the 99th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature category on Friday. “We were confident while making and submitting the film that we will be India’s official entry for the Oscars. I’m proud to represent India with my film,” Davakhar, who also serves as the screenplay and story writer of the film.

33 films in various languages and genres were submitted for review, including Gondhal. Dhurandhar, Border 2, Peddi, Main Vaapas Aaunga, Ikkis, Haq, Governor, Hanuman Ansh, Teeghi, Balan the Boy, Dorothy, Shape of Momo, and Angh were among the indie and high-profile films on the list. The film centers on a married couple and is set against the backdrop of Gondhal, a traditional rural Maharashtra ritual that features song, dancing, and mythology.

The official premise of the movie centers on Suman, a claustrophobic young woman who uses her lover Sarjerao’s interest in Gondhal ceremony to turn a sacred custom into a lethal game of chess.

“Internationally, there’s a perception about Indian films that they are about poverty and casteism. I thought I should make a film, which will represent our heritage, and Gondhal represents the varied culture and heritage of India.

“We’ve a culture that we are proud of and we’ve all brought that out in our film in a different way. It is one of the best crime thriller films,” said Davakhar, who has previously made short films such as Adnyat, Antar 19 and Ajanvruksha.

In addition to newbies Ishita Deshmukh and Nishad Bhoir, the film features well-known actors Kishor Kadam and Suresh Vishwakarma. The soundtrack was composed by seasoned composer Ilaiyaraaja. In advance of the Academy Awards event, which is set for March 14, 2027, Davakhar stated that the team is now working on a comprehensive promotional campaign in the United States.

A 15-film shortlist for the International Feature Film category will be announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in December, and nominations will be cast in January 2027. By the end of January, the final five nominees will be revealed. Mehboob Khan’s Mother India, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay, and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan are the only three Indian films nominated in this category. Although it was submitted by Canada, Deepa Mehta’s Water, which starred John Abraham and Lisa Ray, was also nominated.