Anurag Kashyap upset over 'Gondhal' Oscar pick, director Santosh Davkhar responds
Marathi film 'Gondhal' director Santosh Davkhar answers filmmaker Anurag Kashyap after he objected to its selection as India's Oscar entry
The Marathi film "Gondhal" is in the news over its selection as India's entry for the Oscars, after filmmaker Anurag Kashyap expressed displeasure over the choice. Following his remarks, "Gondhal" director Santosh Davkhar has posted on social media to clarify his position.
In an interview, Anurag Kashyap had said he objects to how films are chosen to be sent from India for the Oscars, saying that on a major international platform like the Oscars, the wrong films are often picked to represent the country. His comments drew considerable discussion on social media, prompting Santosh Davkhar to respond with a post of his own.
In his post, Davkhar first appealed to people to watch the film before commenting on it. He also referred to an earlier meeting with Anurag Kashyap. According to Davkhar, the two met on a flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai on 26 April. Davkhar said he holds great respect for Anurag Kashyap and his films.
During that meeting, at around 11.55 pm, Davkhar personally told Kashyap about his film "Gondhal". At the time, Kashyap said he had neither heard of nor seen the film.
According to Davkhar, Kashyap then said he would watch "Gondhal". However, Davkhar wrote in his post that the film was never released or screened anywhere in Mumbai after that. Raising this point, Davkhar asked how the film could be called wrong if it was never watched. He said audiences and critics must watch a film before drawing any conclusion about it.
Davkhar clarified that "Gondhal" is a psychological thriller. He said the film was made keeping in mind the roots of Marathi culture and a theme meant to appeal to international audiences. He also said the film was not made by anyone from a big film family, but by a new and enthusiastic producer from outside the film industry.
Davkhar said in his post that "Gondhal" was not made only for television or OTT platforms, but was designed to give audiences an experience on the big screen. He said he fully understands the responsibility of representing India on a major global platform like the Oscars.
As the debate over "Gondhal"'s Oscar entry continues, film enthusiasts are watching closely for further reactions and whether Anurag Kashyap responds again.
