Marathi film Gondhal, India's Oscar entry, team meets CM Fadnavis seeking government support
The team of Gondhal, chosen as India's official Oscar entry, met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and asked for financial help and support for its campaign.
Good news has come for the Marathi film industry. The Marathi film Gondhal is now in the Oscar race, having been selected as India's official entry. With the film set to compete for the Oscars, preparations have begun. In this connection, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently met the team of Gondhal.
The meeting took place on the initiative of noted director and IFTDA president Ashoke Pandit. The team went to meet the Chief Minister led by BJP Mumbai president Amit Satam. The team placed one issue before the Chief Minister. They said that reaching the Oscars is not easy. The team asked the Chief Minister that the government provide financial help and support to promote the film and take it to a wider audience. The team also said the question concerned not just one film but the entire Marathi film industry.
Many people are asking whose film Gondhal is. The film has been written by Santosh Davakhar, who has also directed it and produced it himself. Diksha Davakhar assisted him in production.
The story of the film is rooted entirely in the local soil. The Gondhal tradition is well known in Maharashtra, and the story revolves around it. Since the film was selected as India's official Oscar entry, it has been the talk everywhere. The next stage is how to get the film to the United States and how to take it before the jury there. Planning for this is under way.
The delegation that met the Chief Minister was not small, and it included big names from the industry. FWICE general secretary Ashoke Dubey, IFTDA's Nishant Ujjwal and director Swapna Waghmare Joshi were present. The film's actors were also with them. Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh and Yogesh Sohoni were also part of the delegation. The Chief Minister took time out and listened to everyone patiently. The team thanked him for this.
Gondhal reaching the Oscars is not merely the success of one team. It is an honour for the entire Marathi film industry. Many good Marathi films have been made so far, but very few have reached the Oscars' doorstep. Now this Gondhal, rooted in Maharashtra's soil, is set to travel across the seas. At the Oscars, the voice of the Marathi language and Marathi artistes will be heard.
