Marathi Film 'Gondhal' Selected as India's Official Entry for Oscars 2027

Why in News?

The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Friday (18 September 2026) that Marathi film Gondhal is India's official entry for the Oscars 2027 (99th Academy Awards), in the Best International Feature Film category. 

FFI selection committee chairperson P. Sheshadri announced the choice at a press conference in Mumbai.

Key Fact 

• Film: Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar.
• Language: Marathi.
• Selection: Chosen from 33 films (14 Hindi, 4 Marathi and others) that the committee watched over 10 days.
• Runners-up: Angh and Ikkis were in the top three along with Gondhal.
• Premiere: World premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, in 2025, in the Indian Panorama section.
• Award: Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at IFFI.
• Story: Set in rural Maharashtra during a night of the ritual Gondhal dance. It follows Suman, a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage who plots a murder and an escape with her lover, blurring the lines between devotion, deception and fate.
• Ceremony: The 99th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, 14 March 2027.

What Is the Oscar Film Category (Best International Feature Film)?

• The Oscars, or Academy Awards, are given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (USA). 
• The Best International Feature Film award honours feature films made outside the US with mainly non-English dialogue. 
• It was earlier called the Best Foreign Language Film award. 
• Each country can send only one official film per year.

How Is India's Oscar Entry Chosen?

1. The Film Federation of India (FFI) is India's official body for sending the film to the Academy.

2. FFI forms a selection committee of film professionals, which watches films submitted by producers and makers across languages.

3. Films must meet the Academy's eligibility rules (feature length, mainly non-English dialogue, released in the eligibility window).

4. The committee picks one film as India's official submission.

5. The Academy then shortlists 15 films from all countries, announces 5 final nominees, and its members vote for the winner.

India's Last Oscar Entry and Result

• India's previous official entry was Homebound (directed by Neeraj Ghaywan) for the 98th Academy Awards, chosen by the FFI selection committee from 24 films. It advanced to the Academy's round of 15 shortlisted films, but missed the final nominations announced on 22 January 2026.

India's Oscar Record in This Category

• No Indian film has won in this category so far. Only three Indian films have been nominated: Mother India (Mehboob Khan), Salaam Bombay! (Mira Nair) and Lagaan (Ashutosh Gowariker).

MCQ - ENGLISH

Q1. Which film has been chosen as India's official entry for Oscars 2027?

(A) Ikkis 

(B) Angh 

(C) Gondhal 

(D) Homebound

Answer: (C)