Anurag Kashyap Calls India's Entry 'Gondhaal' a Wrong Choice, Director Hits Back
_213015410.jpg)
A fiery debate has erupted across the Indian film fraternity after acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap publicly questioned the selection of the psychological thriller Gondhaal as India's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027) in the Best International Feature Film category. Helmed by debutant director Santosh Davkhar, the Marathi-rooted cinematic work had a quiet theatrical run last year without major commercial box-office returns, yet it secured the prestigious nod from the Film Federation selection panel. Kashyap voiced sharp criticism during an interaction with Variety India, lamenting that the country repeatedly sabotages its prospects at global platforms by bypassing widely acknowledged festival favorites, drawing direct parallels to past snubs involving landmark titles like The Lunchbox and Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light.
In-Flight Conversation Revealed: Santosh Davkhar Questions Kashyap's Verdict Without Screening
Refusing to let the criticism diminish the film's international campaign, director Santosh Davkhar issued an extensive public clarification recounting a personal encounter with Kashyap to highlight that the veteran filmmaker had not even viewed the production. Davkhar stated that during a late-night flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai on April 26, he personally introduced himself to Kashyap and spoke about Gondhaal, where Kashyap admitted he had neither heard of nor seen the title, promising he would watch it whenever possible. Emphasizing that the film has not since been released on digital streaming platforms or screened publicly in Mumbai, Davkhar questioned how an industry stalwart could dismiss a piece of work as an erroneous choice without ever witnessing its cinematic execution.
Big-Screen Vision and National Representation: Filmmaker Urges Public to Avoid Hasty Judgments
Defending his creative endeavor, Davkhar appealed to moviegoers and critics alike to view the complete feature before adopting second-hand opinions, underscoring that Gondhaal represents a gritty independent voice crafted by an industry outsider. Describing the narrative as an immersive psychological thriller that intertwines authentic regional Marathi cultural ethos with universal thematic storytelling, he highlighted that the project was specifically engineered for the auditory and visual scale of the big screen rather than home streaming formats. Affirming that his team recognizes the immense responsibility of carrying the national tricolor to the Academy Awards stage, Davkhar reiterated that their dedicated promotional campaign will honor Indian cinema on the global platform without letting the country down.
_1870746836_351x234.jpg)
_1138433329_351x234.jpg)
_381661850_351x234.jpg)
_1423854930_351x234.jpg)
_1736132214_351x234.jpg)