Archive · 19 Sep 2026
Why Dhurandhar Missed India’s Oscar Entry, Jury Member Explains
India had to choose one movie to send to the Oscars.
The jury looked at 33 films from different Indian languages.
Gondhal was chosen by all 14 jury members.
It tells a suspenseful story during a traditional Gondhal ceremony in Maharashtra.
The ceremony includes music, dancing, and mythology.
Dhurandhar was popular and made a lot of money, but only four jury members voted for it.
The jury said it did not seem suitable for the Oscars.
Another film, Main Vaapas Aaunga, was considered but did not receive enough votes because the jury worried its India-Pakistan subject might not connect with American audiences.
Marathi film Gondhal was selected as India’s submission for the 99th Academy Awards on September 18.
Vivek Vaswani said the 14-member jury did not consider Dhurandhar “Oscar material,” and only four members voted for it.
The jury’s instructions emphasized selecting a film that represented Indian culture and tradition while having global appeal.
The final three films were Gondhal, the Naga-language film Angh, and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga.
Vaswani said Gondhal’s unanimous selection reflected its combination of suspense, Maharashtra’s Gondhal tradition, music, dance, and Ilaiyaraaja’s composition.
- Who
- The 14-member Film Federation of India jury, including jury member Vivek Vaswani, selected Gondhal.
- What
- Gondhal was chosen as India’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards, while Dhurandhar received four votes.
- When
- The selection was confirmed on September 18; Gondhal was released in November 2025, and Dhurandhar’s installments were released in December 2025 and March 2026.
- Where
- The selected film is set in a remote village in Maharashtra, while the decision was made through India’s Film Federation of India Oscar selection process.
- Why
- The jury wanted a film that represented Indian culture and tradition with global appeal, and Vaswani said Gondhal’s cultural setting and distinctive blend of suspense, music, and dance made it stand out.
- Selected film
- Gondhal
- Oscar edition
- 99th Academy Awards
- Jury size
- 14 members
- Dhurandhar votes
- Four out of 14
- Final three films
- Gondhal, Angh, and Main Vaapas Aaunga
- Gondhal language
- Marathi
- Films considered
- 33 films representing several Indian languages
- Reported Dhurandhar franchise earnings
- Around ₹3,000 crore worldwide
