Santosh Davakhar’s Gondhal Gains Oscar Attention After Quiet Release

Gondhal is a Marathi thriller directed by Santosh Davakhar.

It did not attract a large audience when it first came to theatres last November.

Almost a year later, people paid more attention after it became India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards.

Davakhar promoted the film’s Oscar campaign himself.

He says the story was inspired by childhood memories of watching gondhal, a traditional folk performance.

He learned filmmaking mostly by watching films, reading, and practicing.

Before making Gondhal, he directed short films, including Adnyat, which won a National Award.

Davakhar says he wants Indian culture to be shown to international audiences.

He continues making films because he loves filmmaking, not because he expects it to make money.