Santosh Davakhar, the director of ‘Gondhal’, has responded to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s recent comments about India’s track record of selecting films for the Oscars. Kashyap had questioned the country’s selection process and suggested that ‘Gondhal’ should first be screened at international film festivals.Davakhar has now urged audiences to watch the Marathi psychological thriller before forming an opinion about the film’s selection as India’s official entry for the Oscars.
Santosh Davakhar recalls meeting Anurag Kashyap on a flight
Taking to social media on Wednesday, Davakhar recalled meeting Anurag Kashyap on a Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on April 26. He said he introduced Gondhal to the filmmaker, who told him that he had not heard of or watched the film but would definitely watch it.Davakhar wrote that ‘Gondhal’ has since neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai.“I deeply respect Anurag Kashyap Sir and his filmmaking. On the Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on 26 April at 23:55, I introduced ‘GONDHAL’ to him. He said he hadn’t heard of or watched it but would definitely do so. Since then, it has neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai (sic),” he wrote.
Santosh Davakhar: ‘Please watch the film before passing a verdict’
Addressing audiences, Davakhar appealed to viewers to watch Gondhal before forming an opinion about the film. He also acknowledged the responsibility of representing India on the international stage.“My humble request to all audiences, please watch the film before passing a verdict. Made by a debut filmmaker from outside the film fraternity, ‘GONDHAL’ is a psychological thriller blending Marathi culture with global appeal,” he wrote.Davakhar further described Gondhal as a film created specifically for the big screen and said the team was aware of the responsibility associated with representing India at the Oscars.“It is created for the big screen – not OTT. We understand the responsibility of representing India and will not let our country down. Please watch it in theatres upon its upcoming re-release and stand behind us as we face the world. Regards,” he added.
What did Anurag Kashyap say about India’s Oscar selections?
Kashyap had earlier spoken about India’s selection process for the Oscars, arguing that the country has missed opportunities with films that could have represented India at the Academy Awards.Referring to films including ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ he said, “Even if we did have the chance to select the right ones like ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ we messed it up.”Kashyap also suggested that selection criteria could include whether a film had been screened at an international film festival outside India or secured American distribution. Speaking about ‘Gondhal,’ he said the film should first try to get seen across festivals.
About ‘Gondhal’
‘Gondhal’ is a 2025 Marathi psychological thriller written and directed by Santosh Davakhar. The film stars Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Kishor Kadam, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Vitthal Kale in key roles.The film was released in November 2025 and has now been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars.