‘Gondhal’, a Marathi film, is now India’s official entry to the Oscars. Following the announcement, director Santosh Davakhar decided to take the film to audiences across the country in multiple languages. It opened nationwide on November 13. Santosh and cast members Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni and Nishad Bhoir recently reflected on what it means to represent India on the global stage.Speaking to Screen, Santosh said, “It’s a great feeling to represent our country at the Oscars, and it’s a proud moment to be telling people, ‘Oh, we are representing India at the Oscars.’ We are enjoying this moment! But simultaneously, we are also working hard, preparing for the screenings. There’s also a constant anxiety, thinking if we’ve missed out on something or if there is something that I was working on that has not been completed. We are representing India, and the pressure, the anxiety is justified.”
‘Gondhal’ director Santosh Davakhar on ‘Ramayana ’s’ Oscar race
Santosh revealed that ‘Ramayana: Part 1’, backed by producer Namit Malhotra and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is also vying for Oscar recognition through the general entry route. He said, “There are few more films like, Ramayana, among others, they are also contesting in other categories but it is from general entry for Best Film, Best Actor, Best VFX, and I think we have a very good VFX film this year, and Ramayana could do something different at the Oscars under this category. I am betting on it.”He also shared that he had a personal reason for wanting to take ‘Gondhal’ to the global stage and was determined to make it happen. He closely studied the Film Federation of India’s selection process and incorporated those aspects into his project.Speaking specifically about ‘Gondhal’, he said, “I was confident that this is how FFI selects a film, and I have been following them for the last 10-12 years. 11 years ago, Court was selected, made at a meagre budget of Rs 1-1.5 crore, and that film was well-made at an international level. I love that film. Even Laapata Ladies was selected. Last year, Homebound was selected, Jallikattu, many such films are there, which have been selected by the FFI jury. The members comprising the panel aren’t rookie, they are highly experienced, and P Sheshadri, the chief of the jury, himself is an eight-time National Award recipient, and he knows what he is doing.”
‘Ramayana’: Cast, box office and part two
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The first part has already crossed the Rs 1,000 crore mark worldwide. The second and final instalment of the epic is slated for release in 2028.
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