Marathi film ‘Gondhal’, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, to be held in 2027, in the International Feature Film category, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Friday.“Marathi film ‘Gondhal’ has been chosen as India’s official entry to Oscars 2027,” the Film Federation of India said in a statement.The selection gives Marathi cinema another opportunity to represent India on the global stage, following Chaitanya Tamhane’s “Court”, which was chosen as India’s Oscar entry in 2015.Released in 2025, “Gondhal” is set against the backdrop of Maharashtra’s traditional Gondhal, a midnight ritual that combines dance, music and religious folklore.Written and directed by Davakhar, the film stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni and Nishad Bhoir. Its music has been composed by veteran maestro Ilaiyaraaja.The film follows Suman, a woman trapped in a marriage to wealthy Anand. Against the backdrop of a Gondhal ritual, she becomes involved with Saheba, a Gondhali performer, and devises a dangerous plan involving Anand’s cousin, Sarjerao.The story brings together themes of desire, deception, tradition and escape against the rituals and folklore of rural Maharashtra.At the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2025, Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director for “Gondhal.” The IFFI jury praised the film for its treatment of tradition, form and narrative, describing it as a cinematic work akin to a Shakespearean fable set in the real world.The FFI opened submissions for India’s 2027 Oscar entry in August, with films eligible for consideration in the ‘International Feature Film’ category.The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.India’s previous Oscar entry was “Homebound”, which represented the country at the 2026 Academy Awards.