Gondhal, the Marathi psychological thriller that is India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards, has released its global trailer ahead of a worldwide theatrical release on November 13, The Times of India reported. The film is competing in the Best International Feature Film category.
It will be released in seven languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and English. The makers say it will open in India, the US, the UK, Europe, Australia, Dubai and Africa, and call it the first Marathi film to get a seven-language global theatrical release.
The story
Rooted in Maharashtra's cultural traditions, the film follows newlyweds Suman and Anandrao, whose lives take a disturbing turn as personal desires, marital duty and devotion begin to clash. The trailer hints at the couple's troubles and a string of mysterious events.
What the director says
Writer-director Santosh Davakhar said the film shows a side of India that the world rarely sees. "Global perceptions of Indian cinema are often shaped by narratives of poverty and caste conflict – important realities, but not the complete expression of India," he said, as quoted by Bollywood Hungama. "Gondhal is not a film but generations of culture, people, traditions coming together."
About the film
- Cast: Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohani and Nishad Bhoir.
- Producers: Santosh and Diksha Davakhar, under Davakhar Films.
- Cinematography: Amalendu Chaudhary. The makers say the film opens with an unbroken 25-minute shot.
Background
Davakhar won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where the jury described the film as "like a Shakespearean fable set in a real world". The makers say the film is also being considered in other Oscar categories but have not named them.