Highlights
- Dhurandhar received four votes from the 14-member jury considering India’s 2027 Oscar submission.
- Jury member Vivek Vaswani said the film was not considered “Oscar material” and did not represent Indian culture in the way the panel wanted.
- Marathi thriller Gondhal emerged as India’s official entry after making the final three alongside Angh and Maine Vaapas Aayunga.
Vivek Vaswani, a member of the 14-person jury, has now revealed that Dhurandhar received four votes during the selection process. He also explained why the film did not progress further in the race.
Why Dhurandhar did not make the final three
Speaking to NDTV, Vaswani said the jury did not consider Dhurandhar or its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, to be “Oscar material”.
He also said the films did not represent Indian culture in the way the jury was looking for when choosing India's official submission.
The four votes received by Dhurandhar therefore did not put it among the three films that ultimately remained in contention. The final three were Marathi film Gondhal, Angh and Maine Vaapas Aayunga, with Gondhal eventually selected.
The decision was about choosing India's representative for the International Feature Film category rather than judging the film's popularity or commercial performance.
Gondhal gets India's Oscar spot
Directed and written by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal emerged from a field of 33 films submitted across several Indian languages.
The thriller is set against the backdrop of Maharashtra's traditional Gondhal ritual and folk-performance tradition. Its cultural setting was an important part of what appealed to the jury.
The film stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu, with music by Ilaiyaraaja.
The selection also gives Marathi cinema another opportunity to represent India at the Oscars. Previous Marathi films chosen as India's official entries include Shwaas in 2004, Harishchandrachi Factory in 2009 and Court in 2015.
What happens to Dhurandhar now?
Missing out on India's official International Feature Film submission does not mean Dhurandhar has no possibility of being considered for the Academy Awards in other categories.
The film can still pursue individual-category consideration if it meets the Academy's eligibility requirements. RRR, for example, was not India's official International Feature Film submission but went on to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and won for Naatu Naatu.
For this year's submission, however, Gondhal will carry India's official entry in the International Feature Film category.
