Gondhal, India’s Oscar Entry, Hits Theatres on November 13

The Marathi thriller Gondhal is no longer just a regional gem. After being chosen as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, the film now has a pan-India theatrical date: November 13, 2026.

The announcement turns Gondhal from an awards-season headline into a tangible theatre date for fans outside Maharashtra. It also gives the film a rare second wind: the kind of grassroots-to-national journey that regional cinema does not always get.

From Maharashtra to a national screen

The Film Federation of India made the selection on September 18, 2026, putting Gondhal into the Best International Feature Film race for Oscars 2027. It is a rare moment for a Marathi-language film, and the pan-India release now gives the story a chance to build a much larger audience before the awards conversation intensifies.

Directed by Santosh Davakhar, co-founder of Davakhar Films, Gondhal is rooted in rural Maharashtra. It follows Suman, a young woman trapped in a suffocating marriage, who turns to a desperate plan: she exploits her lover’s obsessive belief in the sacred traditional Gondhal ritual. That choice unspools into secret betrayals and severe consequences.

The director’s faith in raw emotion

Davakhar says the team’s original aim was not to chase a national scale but to remain “fiercely true to the raw culture, haunting rhythms, and untold layers of our soil.” That, he believes, is exactly why the film has travelled.

“Cinema has no language barriers when the emotion is raw and honest.”

He added that taking Gondhal to audiences across the country on November 13 feels like bringing the story “full circle.”

Why a pan-India release changes the game

A pan-India release for a regional thriller is a statement. It suggests the makers and distributors believe the film’s suspense can connect beyond Marathi-speaking audiences. That matters because regional cinema often wins critical acclaim but struggles for mainstream screen space. An Oscar selection changes the arithmetic: it gives the title a hook that multiplexes across the country can programme around.

For viewers, the release also solves a practical problem. Instead of waiting for a streaming window or a limited city run, fans in different corners of India can watch Gondhal in theatres on the same date.

For those tracking the Oscars, the timing is smart. A pan-India release in November keeps the title visible in Indian conversations as the international feature conversation unfolds, and gives audiences a chance to form their own verdict before campaign season peaks.

Before you book your ticket

• Title: Gondhal
• Director: Santosh Davakhar
• Selection: India’s official Oscar entry, announced September 18, 2026
• Release: Pan-India, November 13, 2026
• Story: A woman, an unhappy marriage, and the dangerous misuse of a sacred ritual

If you want to see the film that will carry India’s hopes into the international category, November 13 is the date to keep free.

Source: Filmfare

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#Best International Feature#Gondhal#Indian Cinema#Marathi Cinema#Movie Release#Oscars 2027#pan-India release#Santosh Davakhar