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Gondhal is India’s Oscar entry, beating Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar. Jury member Vivek Vaswani said Dhurandhar got 4 votes and wasn’t “Oscar material.
Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar Got 4 Votes As Gondhal Won India’s Oscar Entry
The race for India’s Oscar entry this year featured films from several Indian languages and industries, with the final choice drawing attention after the announcement on Friday. Among the films that made it to the final stage was Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar, which had a strong run at the box office.
Marathi film Gondhal was eventually selected to represent India at the 99th Academy Awards. The decision has since led to discussions around the films considered by the Film Federation of India jury and what ultimately separated the shortlisted titles.
Vivek Vaswani, who was part of the 14-member jury, has now shared some details about the process while speaking to NDTV. When asked about Dhurandhar’s position during the final selection, Vivek said, “Couple of people liked it but we didn’t think that it was Oscar material.”
He also explained that the Dhurandhar films did not reflect Indian culture in the manner the jury was looking for while considering India’s official submission. Vivek was then asked how many members of the 14-person jury had voted for Dhurandhar. His answer was, “Four.”
Gondhal, meanwhile, was selected after being considered alongside a wide range of films. According to the report, 33 movies entered the selection process. The list included 14 Hindi films, four Marathi films, four Telugu films, three Gujarati films, three Tamil films, one Malayalam film, one Nepali film and one film from Nagaland.
The final three films considered by the jury were Gondhal, Angh and Maine Vaapas Aayunga. Gondhal eventually emerged as the film that will represent India at the 2027 Oscars.
Directed and written by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal is a thriller built around Maharashtra’s traditional midnight ritual and folk-performance tradition, which also gives the film its name. Its cultural setting and portrayal of Indian traditions were among the aspects that appealed to the jury.
Gondhal has also travelled through the international festival circuit. Davakhar won the Silver Peacock Award for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2025.
The film features Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu. Its music has been composed by veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja.
Dhurandhar, meanwhile, is directed by Aditya Dhar and stars Ranveer Singh in the lead. The first instalment arrived in December 2025, followed by Dhurandhar: The Revenge in March 2026.
The two films went on to become major box-office successes, with the franchise earning around ₹3,000 crore worldwide. Alongside Ranveer, the cast includes Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun and several others.
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Ask News18The Marathi thriller film “Gondhal,” directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been chosen as India’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards.
Ask News18September 18, 2026, 23:12 IST