The all-risk gamble behind ‘Gondhal’ as it charts its journey to the Oscars

Jagran Gondhal is a traditional Marathi devotional ritual, usually performed through the night to honour regional deities and seek their blessings. It combines music, chanting, storytelling and ritual action. The article does not provide a formal definition, but it describes the event as an all-night village performance watched by Santosh Davakhar during childhood.

In Gondhal, the ritual becomes more than background decoration. Gondhal performer Bhivaba watches the village’s conflicts while the artists perform for the villagers. Their music and presence frame a tense story involving Suman, her husband Anandrao, Sarjerao and her lover Sahebrao. The film also combines traditional music with a score by Ilaiyaraaja.

This matters because Davakhar wants audiences to enjoy the ritual while understanding universal themes such as greed, jealousy, power and obsession. His childhood memories of Jagran Gondhal in Sinnar helped shape the film’s cultural world. The tradition gives the story a specific Indian setting while helping it reach viewers beyond Marathi-speaking audiences.

Being India’s official entry means Gondhal is the country’s submitted film in the Academy’s Best International Feature Film competition. It gives the Marathi-language film national recognition and a chance to be considered for the Oscar shortlist and final nominations. The article presents the selection as a major honour, but also as a demanding campaign.

Davakhar has attended screenings in America, where he introduced the film’s cultural context. The film is also being dubbed into Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, then re-released on November 13. These efforts aim to make its story more accessible to audiences who do not speak Marathi.

Selection does not ensure a nomination. Gondhal must attract attention from voters considering films from many countries. Its strongest pitch is the combination of rooted tradition and widely understandable themes, including desire, jealousy, greed, power and obsession. Final nominations are due January 17, with the ceremony scheduled for March 14.

The article does not state how much Santosh Davakhar personally invested in making or promoting Gondhal. It does explain that financing was the first major obstacle. Producers were reluctant to fund a film without recognisable actors or obvious commercial potential. Davakhar remained unwilling to make script changes simply to secure conventional backing.

The project began in 2020. Gondhal was originally released in November 2025, so roughly five years passed between starting the feature and its first release. Promotion continued through screenings in America, private shows in India and a planned re-release in multiple dubbed versions. The film’s English title is Sacred Obsession.

That timeline reflects a long independent production effort, but the article does not provide a budget, fundraising total or promotional spending figure. Any precise amount would therefore be unsupported. The project’s Oscar campaign is still developing, with efforts focused on explaining the ritual, widening language access and building attention among international viewers.

Once a country submits an official entry, the film is considered within the Academy’s Best International Feature Film process. It must satisfy eligibility requirements, attract attention during the international campaign and survive successive voting stages. A submission is therefore an entry into the race, not an automatic place among the nominees.

Gondhal illustrates the challenge. Davakhar has attended American screenings, and organisers are arranging private shows in India. The film is also being dubbed into five Indian languages and re-released on November 13. These steps can improve access and visibility, but they cannot decide how Academy voters respond to the film.

The category draws entries from many countries, creating strong competition for limited nomination places. Voters may also differ in their responses to a culturally specific film. The article highlights this uncertainty by calling the selection both an honour and a burden. Gondhal’s next milestones are the final nominations on January 17 and the ceremony on March 14.

India’s official Oscar entry is chosen by a selection committee appointed for that purpose by the Film Federation of India. This is separate from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs the Oscar process. The source article identifies Gondhal as India’s pick but does not name the committee or describe its internal voting.

After submission, Academy members consider eligible international entries through the category’s voting stages. Academy voters determine which films become finalists and nominees, and the final winner is chosen through Academy voting. Thus, India can nominate Gondhal for consideration, but it cannot award the film an Oscar.

This division explains why selection is important but not decisive. Davakhar must persuade international voters that a Marathi-language story set around Jagran Gondhal has broad artistic and emotional appeal. American screenings, language dubbing and the film’s universal themes may help. Still, the result depends on Academy judgment and competition from other countries’ submissions.

Gondhal and Angh are pursuing separate paths in the Oscar race. Gondhal is India’s official submission for Best International Feature Film. Angh, directed by Theja Rio, is independently making a bid for a nomination. The two films therefore represent different kinds of campaigns rather than a formal head-to-head contest between India’s entries.

Angh is set in Nagaland and is also a debut feature. Its campaign received a strong boost when it won a major award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. That recognition can give the film credibility, press attention and a useful talking point when it reaches international voters. The article does not name the award or explain its exact voting impact.

Gondhal is building attention through American screenings, private Indian shows and dubbed versions. Angh’s Toronto success gives it its own visibility. Neither achievement guarantees a nomination, because Academy voters must still assess eligible films from many countries. The final nominations will be announced on January 17.

The Best International Feature Film category recognises eligible feature films produced outside the English-language mainstream category and submitted by countries for Academy consideration. The category gives national cinemas a route to international recognition. The article focuses on the pressure of competing with titles from around the world and winning the attention of largely American voters.

Gondhal is rooted in Marathi language and the Jagran Gondhal ritual, but its conflict is easy to recognise. Suman is trapped in a marriage and caught between desire, manipulation and danger. The film explores jealousy, greed, power and obsession. Its nearly 24-minute opening take and high production values also give voters a formal reason to notice it.

Davakhar is widening access through Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada dubs, plus American screenings. He wants viewers to understand both the ritual and the wider human story. This balance—specific cultural detail with shared emotions—can help a regional film communicate internationally, though nomination still depends on Academy voters.