India’s official Oscar entry is treating a theatrical preview as an event, not an afterthought. Gondhal, the Marathi psychological thriller selected for the 99th Academy Awards, will hold exclusive previews in six cities from October 9.
Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, the film begins its preview run in Mumbai and Pune with four theatres each. Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru follow. The early screenings will be in Marathi and Hindi.
A slow build before a six-language push
The preview window is deliberately narrow. After it, Gondhal is scheduled for a wider theatrical release in Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada across India and overseas. The makers have not announced a date for that wider leg.
- October 9: Mumbai and Pune, four theatres each
- Following cities: Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru
- Preview languages: Marathi and Hindi
- Wider release: six languages, India and overseas, date to be announced
The title comes from a rural Maharashtrian ritual that blends music, dance and mythology. In the film, a newlywed bride named Suman feels trapped in her marriage and channels her lover Sarjerao’s fixation on that ritual, turning a sacred tradition into a psychological weapon. Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam and Yogesh Sohoni lead the cast.
Why the theatrical-first route matters
An Oscar submission carries attention, but attention is most useful when it converts into word of mouth. Starting with six-city previews lets the film meet its core Marathi and Hindi audience first, then use that response to fuel a wider six-language rollout. It also positions the film as a big-screen experience rather than a title that quietly appears on streaming.
Davakhar made that intention explicit.
“For us, these previews are more than just early screenings; they are an opportunity to bring Gondhal back to audiences for whom the theatrical experience was always at the heart of the film,” Davakhar said.
He added that the story’s atmosphere, sound and visual world should be experienced collectively, and that he hopes viewers enter without preconceived notions. A Marathi-language selection also puts a regional story on a national platform.
The rollout also reflects a broader shift in Indian cinema: a regional story can use awards attention to build a wider language footprint. The makers are leaning on the Oscar tag to create urgency before a release date is locked.
For cinema lovers in the six preview cities, October 9 is the earliest chance to see the film in a theatre. For everyone else, the next step is waiting for the wider release date.
Source: Hindustan Times
