Gondhal director Santosh Davakhar answers Anurag Kashyap's Oscar selection remarks

Santosh Davakhar, the director behind Gondhal, India's official entry for the Oscars, has responded to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's comments on how the country chooses its films for the Academy Awards. His message to audiences was simple: see the film first, then judge it.

Kashyap had recently told a media platform that India keeps losing out at major award shows like the Oscars because it ends up sending the wrong films. He named The Lunchbox and All We Imagine As Light as the right kind of picks, and said the country messed things up even when it had such chances. He also argued that a key eligibility test should be whether a film has travelled to an international festival outside India or secured American distribution. On Gondhal, he said the film should first try to get seen across festivals.

Davakhar replied on social media on Wednesday. He recalled meeting Kashyap on a Bengaluru to Mumbai flight on April 26, close to midnight, and introducing Gondhal to him. According to Davakhar, Kashyap said he had not heard of the film or watched it, but promised he would. Davakhar added that since then, the film has neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai.

Stressing that he deeply respects Kashyap and his filmmaking, Davakhar made a humble appeal to viewers not to pass a verdict without watching the film. He described Gondhal as a psychological thriller that blends Marathi culture with global appeal, made by a debut filmmaker from outside the film fraternity.

He also made it clear that the film was made for the big screen and not for OTT. Davakhar said the team understands the responsibility of representing India on an international stage and will not let the country down. He asked audiences to watch Gondhal in theatres during its upcoming re-release and to stand behind the team as it faces the world.