With his Marathi film Gondhal selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars this year, filmmaker Santosh Davakhar is soaking in this "proud moment" for his entire team and family.

“It’s a really proud feeling. It’s the effort of my whole Gondhal team and great support from my family. It’s amazing to epresent your country at an international level. It feels like I am going to the Olympics,” he tells HT City exclusively.

The filmmaker says the idea behind Gondhal came from his experiences at international film festivals, particularly Cannes.

He continues, “I decided to make this film according to international taste. I wanted it to compete at that level. When I had been to festivals like Cannes, I found that the perception of Indian cinema is that our films are around poverty and casteism. I personally feel I should represent our country’s rich heritage and culture. That’s why I decided to make Gondhal,” he says.

He believes that his own struggles, first as a child labourer and then a filmmaker, also helped him understand and create his characters better.

“Aisa hai, director ko har struggle se jaana chahiye, aisa mera maana hai. Tabhi aap character ko samajh paate ho. Yes, I have gone through a lot of struggle. It reflects in every character I designed, that’s a great thing. Experience ka joda jab khulta hai, tab achhe characters nikalte hain. Vahi Gondhal ke saath hua hai,” he says.

Santosh earlier did a short course from the Film and Television Institute of India, while his time at Cannes film festival further influenced him.

“When I was at Cannes, I used to see three-four films every day. That compelled me to make a film like Gondhal,” he recalls.

The filmmaker is now looking forward to bringing it to audiences again, after an initial run in November last year, "Jaldi hi release hone wali hai, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada mein. OTT ya mobile pe dekhne layak nahi hai. Jitnon ne bhi dekhi, kaha OTT pe mat dekho, theatres mein dekho. Pehla shot one take, 26 minutes ka hai. It will astonish you,” he says.

Gondhal, he reveals, revolves around “desire, deception. And the Gondhal ritual which is the pride of Maharashtra.”

As for the Oscars campaign, Santosh says preparations are already underway. “We have already hired a social media team from Finland. And a media PR from Los Angeles, she is very good. In the last 20 years, she has worked on 27 films that were nominated. We know how we are going to represent our country at the international level,” he says.

For him, the selection is also a significant moment for Marathi cinema, “It’s a big win for regional cinema. A Marathi film, after 11 years, is going for the Oscars.”

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Actor Ishita Deshmukh is over the moon after her debut film, Gondhal, was announced the official entry from India to the Oscars 2027. The Film Federation of India, the body responsible for sending India's official entry to the Academy, announced that the Marathi film, directed by Santosh Davakhar, will be submitted in the Best International Feature Film category.

Speaking to HT City, Deshmukh, 27, shares her excitement. "I am still processing... It was a normal day, and since Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are on, we have Gauri Pujan at my house. And suddenly, I get this news. This is a surreal feeling. All my relatives are home, and everyone is just watching the news," says an elated Deshmukh.

Deshmukh is filled with gratitude and emotion as she tries to catch her breath and find the right words to express her feelings.

"I feel so grateful to be part of a film that represents Maharashtrian culture and Indian filmmaking. Every actor and filmmaker has this big dream that you have to go to the Oscars. Our director, Santosh Davakhar, has dreams. But today, I can say that he makes his dreams come true, and I was a part of it," says Deshmukh.

The actor, while recalling the process of how she landed the role, remembers how she was "praying to god" to get a role.

"All I can say is that I am blessed. I auditioned for this role, and at that time I was just praying to god to give me a place so that I could work hard, and he gave me Gondhal," says an emotionally overwhelmed Deshmukh.

It is not just a big moment for the actor, but she shares that her parents are also on cloud nine after seeing the news. "They are all really happy. My mom and dad both know about the Oscars. My grandmother doesn't know what the Oscars are. I was explaining it to her, and she saw my name and picture come on the television," she adds.

Looking back at the years of struggle, Deshmukh believes that all the difficulties she has been through have helped her to become the artiste she is today.

"All those years have shaped me into who I am right now. It has a lot to do with the kind of artiste I have become. When life happens to you, you are able to channel it through your art. There was a phase when some of the things were not working out, and I know that it is a part of life, and one doesn't exist without the other. These lessons are just a gift of life," she ends.