Marathi Thriller Gondhal Starts Paid Previews as India’s Oscar Entry Rolls Out Campaign

Campaign

The makers of the Marathi thriller Gondhal have begun an intensive Oscar‑campaign, launching paid preview screenings across select Indian cities from October 10. The film, produced by Diksha Davakhar under Davakhar Films, was announced as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in 2027. Davakhar Films posted the update on its Instagram on Thursday, calling the movie a "cerebral psychological thriller rooted in culture and driven by the complexities of the human mind." Directed by Santosh Davakhar, the cast includes Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu. Santosh Davakhar told ANI that the team had been preparing for a year, felt confident about the product and sees the selection as a great blessing and a heavy responsibility to represent the nation before Oscar voters. He said the next few months will involve hard work to secure at least 6,000‑7,000 Academy votes. Davakhar also hopes the film will eventually be noticed by every technician in India’s film industry and views the entry as a representation of the broader Indian cinema, not a contest against other Indian films. The film runs about two hours and was chosen from the entries submitted to the Film Federation of India.

Context

Paid preview events are a common tactic for Oscar campaigns, giving Academy members a chance to view the film before voting. The target of 6,000‑7,000 votes reflects the typical number of Academy voters needed to secure a nomination in a competitive category.