Gondhal director hits back at Anurag Kashyap's criticism of India's Oscar entries

Filmmaker Santosh Davakhar, director of Gondhal, India’s official entry for the Oscars, has responded to Anurag Kashyap’s recent remarks on India’s selection process for major international awards. Kashyap had said that India often selects the “wrong films” for the Oscars, citing films such as The Lunchbox and All We Imagine As Light as examples of movies he believed should have been chosen.

Responding to the filmmaker’s comments, Davakhar urged audiences to watch Gondhal before forming an opinion about its Oscar selection. He also recalled meeting Kashyap on a flight earlier this year and introducing him to the film.

“I deeply respect Anurag Kashyap Sir and his filmmaking. On the Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on April 26 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,” Davakhar replied to a news outlet’s post about the filmmaker.

Davakhar then made a request to audiences, asking them to watch Gondhal before passing judgement on the film or its selection as India’s Oscar entry.

“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. 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,” he added. Davakhar’s response came after Kashyap spoke about India’s Oscar selection process in an interview with Variety India. When the Gangs of Wasseypur director was asked about India’s struggle to win in the Best International Feature Film category Kashyap pointed the selection process.

“Because we select absolutely wrong films. 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 was also asked about Homebound, which was selected as India’s official Oscar entry last year, as well as the earlier submissions of The Lunchbox and All We Imagine As Light.

“Homebound was sent. It reached the Final 15 shortlist. That was good. As for ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ the selection committees deliberately didn’t choose them. Now there is ‘Gondhal.’ Let’s see what happens,” he said.

The director even suggested Gondhal to secure festival exposure before committing substantial resources to an awards campaign.

With Gondhal now representing India at the Oscars, Davakhar has asked audiences to watch the film before concluding its selection, while reiterating that the team understands the responsibility of representing the country on the international stage.

Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, was selected by the Film Federation of India from 33 submissions to represent India in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. Set in rural Maharashtra, the Marathi thriller draws from the traditional Gondhal ritual and the region’s folk-performance heritage.- EndsPublished By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Sep 23, 2026 20:31 ISTALSO READ | What is Gondhal ritual? Inside colourful Marathi film that is India's Oscars entry