Marathi filmmaker Santosh Davakhar has opened up about his vision behind ‘Gondhal’, which has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars. The director said in a recent interview that he wanted the film to showcase India’s cultural identity to audiences beyond the country.Santosh Davakhar said his focus was to present Indian culture and heritage through a cinematic narrative. He also revealed that his experiences at international film festivals shaped his approach to the project.In a conversation with IANS, the filmmaker recalled being unsure about the response to ‘Gondhal’. However, he had a clear goal while developing the Marathi thriller. “To be honest, I didn’t know if people will like this film or not. My first priority was that I have to make this film internationally,” he said.

Santosh Davakhar on India’s image through cinema

The filmmaker said his experiences at Cannes and other international festivals made him think about the way Indian cinema is viewed globally.During his festival visits, Santosh Davakhar observed that conversations around Indian films often focused on subjects such as poverty and casteism. He said these remain important issues but felt India’s cultural heritage also deserved wider representation. “When I was in Cannes and other festivals internationally, that time I got to know about the representation of Indian films, and how people think that the films here are about poverty and casteism,” he said.Santosh Davakhar said he wanted ‘Gondhal’ to present another aspect of the country. His intention was to bring Indian traditions and cultural richness into the storytelling.“This is an important issue in India. But apart from that, India has a rich heritage, a proud culture. And I wanted to represent that culture in a cinematic way,” Davakhar said.

‘Gondhal’ director drew from international cinema

His exposure to world cinema also became an important part of the filmmaking process. Santosh Davakhar recalled watching several movies during his time at Cannes. The filmmaker said he watched three to four films every day during the festival. He eventually watched more than 40 films over 15 days.“When I was in Cannes, I used to watch three-four films a day. In 15 days, I have watched more than 40 films. So that page automatically develops. And if you want to make an international film, your making should also be according to that,” he said. He said watching international films helped him develop a better understanding of filmmaking and storytelling.

Santosh Davakhar focuses on thriller and mystery

The director also revealed that significant research went into developing the screenplay. He wanted to create a mystery thriller that audiences could follow without making the narrative overly complicated.“I have done a lot of research on that. I have also done a lot of research on screenplay. And I have given people a thriller mystery in a very simple way. And along with that, I have also given a richness of rituals,” he said.The film combines its mystery-driven storyline with rituals and elements of Indian culture. This forms a key part of Santosh Davakhar’s approach to the project.

‘Gondhal’ selected as India’s official Oscar entry

‘Gondhal’ has gained significant attention after being chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars. The Marathi film brings together thriller and mystery elements with traditional Indian rituals.‘Gondhal’ features Kishor Kadam in a prominent role. Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu, Suresh Vishwakarma and Vitthal Kale are also part of the cast.