Santosh Davakhar’s psychological thriller ‘Gondhal’ has unveiled its global trailer, just ahead of its worldwide theatrical release on November 13, 2026. The film is India’s official submission to the 99th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Audiences can watch it in seven languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and English.
‘Gondhal’ to get a seven-language global rollout
The makers say the multilingual release will reach audiences in India, the US, the UK, Europe, Australia, Dubai and Africa, and they are calling “’Gondhal’ the first Marathi film to get a seven-language global theatrical rollout.
What the story of ‘Gondhal’ is about
Rooted in Maharashtra’s cultural traditions, the story centres on newlyweds Suman and Anandrao, whose lives take a disturbing turn as personal desires, marital duties and devotion begin to collide. The trailer gives a peek into the couple’s troubled circumstances and the string of mysterious events that drive the psychological thriller.
Davakhar on Gondhal’s global reach
Talking about the film’s global reach, writer-director Santosh said the story is his way of showing audiences a side of Indian culture they rarely get to see. As quoted by Bollywood Hungama, he said, “Global perceptions of Indian cinema are often shaped by narratives of poverty and caste conflict – important realities, but not the complete expression of India. Gondhal is not a film but generations of culture, people, traditions coming together. Getting the world to know about this tradition is something that makes me immensely happy”.
Davakhar on ‘Gondhal’ and global platforms
Davakhar also touched on how international film platforms can carry regional stories beyond where they began. “Global festivals like academy awards help filmmakers to bring forth the ethnicity of our very roots across continents and not only in India. To experience India in its truest form. I created this film to bring one such powerful tradition to the global screen through a culturally authentic and universal cinematic language,” he added.
‘Gondhal’ as India’s Oscar submission
‘Gondhal’ has been chosen as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The makers add that the film is also in consideration for several other categories, though they haven’t shared specifics.Davakhar earlier took home the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where the jury called the film “like a Shakespearean fable set in a real world.” The cast includes Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani and Nishad Bhoir. Produced by Santosh Davakhar and Diksha Davakhar under Davakhar Films, with cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary, the film, according to the makers, begins with an unbroken 25-minute take. ‘Gondhal’ releases in theatres worldwide on November 13, 2026.
