The global trailer for Santosh Davakhar’s film Gondhal is out now. This psychological thriller is India’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards. It will release in seven languages on November 13, 2026. Davakhar said, “Getting the world to know about this tradition is something that makes me immensely happy.”
The global trailer of Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been released ahead of the film’s worldwide theatrical release on November 13, 2026. The psychological thriller, which is India’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, will release in seven languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and English.
According to the makers, the multilingual release will cover markets including India, the US, the UK, Europe, Australia, Dubai and Africa. The film’s makers have described it as the first Marathi film to receive a seven-language global theatrical rollout.
Set against the cultural traditions of Maharashtra, Gondhal follows newlyweds Suman and Anandrao, whose lives take an unsettling turn as personal desires, marital responsibilities and devotion begin to intersect. The trailer offers glimpses of the couple’s strained circumstances and a series of mysterious events that form the basis of the psychological thriller.
Santosh Davakhar on bringing Gondhal to a global audience
Speaking about the film’s international reach, writer-director Santosh Davakhar said he wanted to introduce audiences to a lesser-seen aspect of Indian culture through the story.
“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,” he said.
Davakhar also spoke about the role of international film platforms in bringing regional stories to audiences beyond their place of origin. “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’s Oscar journey and cast
Gondhal has been selected as India’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The makers have also said the film is being considered in multiple categories, although further details about those submissions have not been specified.
Davakhar previously won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The festival jury described Gondhal as “like a Shakespearean fable set in a real world.”
The film stars Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani and Nishad Bhoir. It is produced by Santosh Davakhar and Diksha Davakhar under the banner of Davakhar Films, with cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary. The film opens with a 25-minute unbroken take, according to the makers.
Gondhal is scheduled to arrive in theatres worldwide on November 13, 2026.