Mumbai: Santosh Davakhar's Marathi thriller ‘Gondhal’, India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, is set for a pan-India release on November 13.
Written, directed, and produced under Davakhar Films, the film will release in Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.
When we set out to make 'Gondhal', our only 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 resonate so profoundly that it becomes India's official Oscar entry is an overwhelming honor. Now, bringing it to audiences across the country on November 13 in a Pan-India release feels like bringing the story back full circle.
Santosh Davakhar, Director
"Cinema has no language barriers when the emotion is raw and honest, and I am filled with immense gratitude that viewers from every corner of India will get to experience this sacred, suspenseful journey on the big screen together," he added.
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, reads the official synopsis.
The film features Kishor Kadam, Ishitaa Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir, and Anuj Prabhu. Renowned composer Ilaiyaraaja is the music director and Amalendu Chaudhary serves as the cinematographer on the movie.
On September 18, the Film Federation of India (FFI) selected ‘Gondhal’ to represent India in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
