Gondhal
| Gondhal | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Santosh Davakhar |
| Written by | Santosh Davakhar |
| Screenplay by | Santosh Davakhar |
| Story by | Santosh Davakhar |
| Produced by | Diksha Davakhar |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Amalendu Chaudhary |
| Edited by | Ashish Mhatre |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja[1] |
Production company | Davakhar Films |
| Distributed by | AA Films Custard Apple Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Marathi |
Gondhal is a 2025 Indian Marathi-language thriller film written and directed by Santosh Davakhar.[2][3] The film stars Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Kishor Kadam, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu, Vitthal Kale in main roles.[4] It is reportedly the first Indian film to feature a continuous 25-minute-long take.[5][6] The music was composed by "Isaignani" Ilaiyaraaja, marking his second ever Marathi film soundtrack, 14 years after Hello Jai Hind! (2011).
Gondhal was nominated for the Golden Peacock Award at the 56th International Film Festival of India[7] and Santosh Davakhar won Best Director Award in Silver Peacock category.[8][9] It was also selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.[10]
Plot
[edit]Bhivaba, a respected and financially well-off Gondhali, sets out to perform a Gondhal (Traditional devotional ritual) at the house of a Patil family. He is accompanied by his grandson, Vishnu, and his fellow performers. As they walk through the dark village night with a lantern, they discuss the disappearance of Bhivaba’s son, which is being investigated by the police. The disappearance is connected to Sarjerao, a member of another branch of the Patil family, and his father, Abasaheb, the elder Patil. The father and son use fear and violence to maintain their control over the village and display their power.
At the Patil house where Bhivaba is going to perform, Suman has recently married Ananda. Sarjerao is deeply in love with Suman, while Suman seems attracted to him because she dreams of becoming a Patlinbai. Although she is married to Ananda, she continues to respond to Sarjerao’s feelings. During the Gondhal ceremony, Sahebrao, the man Suman truly loves, arrives in the village disguised as a Murali to perform in the same Gondhal. His presence creates a complicated relationship between Suman, Sarjerao, and Ananda. Suman wishes to leave Ananda and begin a new life with Sahebrao. To achieve this, Suman takes advantage of Sarjerao’s love and jealousy and convinces him to murder Ananda.
She plans for Sarjerao to be blamed for the crime and sent to prison, after which she intends to escape with Sahebrao. As the Gondhal continues through the night, the hidden relationships and the murder plan lead to a series of violent events. As planned by Suman, Sahebrao halts a Gondhal ritual and directs Ananda to a river nearby telling him that it is the deity's calling to perform a new ritual on the bank of the river. Everyone present there believes Sahebrao should perform the ritual as it is a Gondhali suggesting the new ritual. In the meantime, Sarjerao kills his Aabasaheb in the backyard for always being against his and Suman's union and wears his father's turban implying that he has taken over the reign as the next Patil. However, Bhivaba attacks him from behind mistaking him to be the Patil and ends up killing Sarjerao. Unable to find Sarjerao to send at the river bank to kill Ananda, Suman now passes on the responsibility to Sahebrao to go and kill him for the sake of their love.
A hesitant Sahebrao goes to the river bank and calls out for him, where he is attacked by Ananda, leading to a gruesome fight in the water. It is later that Ananda had learnt about the conspiracy against him and it was him who attacked Sahebrao which ended in Sahebrao's death. The film ends with Ananda surviving the night, while Sahebrao and Sarjerao are dead. The Gondhal ceremony concludes at dawn, contrasting with the violence, betrayal, and power struggles that have taken place during the night.
Cast
[edit]- Kishor Kadam as Bhivaba
- Ishita Deshmukh as Suman
- Yogesh Sohoni as Ananda "Aandya"
- Nishad Bhoir as Sarjerao
- Anuj Prabhu as Sahebrao (Murali)
- Suresh Vishwakarma as Patil, Sarjerao's father
- Maadhavi Juvekar as Ananda's mother
- Aishwarya Shinde as Ananda's sister
- Kailash Waghmare as Mhorkya
- Poonam Patil as Suman's mother
- Prashant Deshpande as Ananda's father
- Sharad Jadhav as Suman's father
- Vitthal Kale as Mohan
- Pravin Dalimbkar as Vilas
- Dhruv Thoke as Vishnu, Bhivaba's grandson
- Prabhakar Mathapati as Ananda's brother-in-law[11]
Marketing
[edit]The teaser was released on 10 October 2025 with Kantara: Chapter 1 in selected cinemas.[12]
Release
[edit]The film was theatrically released in Maharashtra, India on 14 November 2025.[13]
Reception
[edit]Critics response
[edit]Santosh Bhingarde of Sakal awarded 4.5 stars out of 5 stars, describing it as an outstanding portrayal of our folk culture.[14] Anupama Gunde of Pudhari awarded 3 stars out of 5 stars, and wrote "The film symbolically blends darkness, the breaking dawn, and the emergence of truth into bright light."[15] Elizabrth Kerr of Screen Daily wrote, "Though the narrative has its share of loose ends (one of which is disturbing for who it involves), Gondhal is immersive and enlightening, but also gleefully pulpy, and a breath of fresh air for Marathi cinema."[16]
Accolades
[edit]At the 56th International Film Festival of India (2025), Gondhal won the Silver Peacock for Best Director.[17] The film also received the FIPRESCI Award at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (2026).[18] At the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) (2026), it won both Best Director and Best Cinematographer, and later secured the Best Director award at the 22nd Third Eye Asian International Film Festival (2026).[19] Film was nominated for Oscar in 2026.[20]
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Award | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filmfare Awards Marathi | Best Actress | Ishita Deshmukh | Won | [21] |
| Best Screenplay | Santosh Davakhar | Won | ||
| Best Cinematographer | Amlendu Choudhary | Won | ||
| Best Sound Design | Jayesh DhakanBest | Won | ||
| Best Background Score | Ilaiyaraaja | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Male) | Anuj Prabhu | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Male) | Kishore Kadam | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Critics) | Ishita Deshmukh | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Santosh Davakhar | Nominated | ||
| Best Story | Santosh Davakhar | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Ashish Mhatre | Nominated | [22] | |
Soundtrack
[edit]The soundtrack was composed by "Isaignani" Ilaiyaraaja, ""Chandana"" song lyrics written by Ajay Gogavale and ""Malhari"" song written by Santosh Davakhar.[23]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chandana" | Ajay Gogavale | Ajay Gogavale, Arya Ambekar | 5:08 |
| 2. | "Malhari" | Santosh Davakhar | Abhijeet Kosambi | 2:22 |
| 3. | "Chandana (female)" | Ajay Gogavale | Arya Ambekar | 3.54 |
| 4. | "Naman" | Harilal Ghuge | 1.48 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Narayan, Kimaya (28 September 2025). "Marathi Movie : पद्मविभूषण इलैयाराजा यांच्या संगीताने सजलेला 'गोंधळ'; सिनेमाचं पोस्टर रिलीज". Sakal (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "Gondhal". Central Board of Film Certification. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "Gondhal | Release Date, Reviews, Cast, and Where to Watch". Times Now. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "तब्बल २५ मिनिटांचा वनटेक सीन! 'गोंधळ' निमित्ताने भारतीय सिनेसृष्टीत पहिल्यांदाच झाला 'असा' प्रयोग". Lokmat (in Marathi). 18 November 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "तब्बल २५ मिनिटांचा वनटेक सीन! 'गोंधळ' निमित्ताने भारतीय सिनेसृष्टीत पहिल्यांदाच झाला 'असा' प्रयोग". Lokmat (in Marathi). 18 November 2025.
- ↑ "Child labourer-turned-award-winning filmmaker Santosh Davakhar's films carry lessons he has learnt from life". The Indian Express. 1 February 2026.
- ↑ "५६ व्या इंटरनॅशनल फिल्म फेस्टिवल ऑफ इंडियाच्या 'या' श्रेणीमध्ये 'गोंधळ'ची अधिकृत निवड". Loksatta (in Marathi). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "56th IFFI Concludes in Goa, Vietnamese Film Wins Golden Peacock". News On Air. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ "महाराष्ट्राच्या शिरपेचात मानाचा तुरा! ५६ वर्षांत पहिल्यांदाच मराठी दिग्दर्शकाने IFFI मध्ये पटकावला पुरस्कार". Loksatta (in Marathi). 29 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ "Oscars 2027: मराठी चित्रपटसृष्टीच्या शिरपेचात मानाचा तुरा! 'गोंधळ'ची ९९व्या अकादमी पुरस्कारांसाठी भारताकडून अधिकृत निवड". Lokmat. 18 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "'GONDHAL' (MARATHI) REVIEW | 14 November, 2025". Film Information. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "'कांतारा'सोबत थिएटर्समध्ये प्रदर्शित झाला या मराठी सिनेमाचा टिझर; बॉक्स ऑफिसवर घालणार का 'गोंधळ'?". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "Gondhal Marathi Movie: गोंधळ सिनेमाची जोरदार चर्चा, प्रेक्षकांचा कसा मिळतोय प्रतिसाद? दिग्दर्शक म्हणाले..." NDTV Marathi. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ Bhingarde, Santosh (15 November 2025). "Movie Review : गोंधळ - लोककला आणि लोकसंस्कृती यांचा उत्तम जागर". Sakal (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "Gondhal Marathi Movie : प्रेम आणि सत्तेमध्ये गुरफटलेला गोंधळ". Pudhari (in Marathi). 16 November 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ Kerr, Elizabeth. "'Gondhal' review: An Indian wedding party turns sour in polished Marathi-language debut". Screen. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ "महाराष्ट्राच्या शिरपेचात मानाचा तुरा! ५६ वर्षांत पहिल्यांदाच मराठी दिग्दर्शकाने IFFI मध्ये पटकावला पुरस्कार". Loksatta (in Marathi). 29 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ "BIFFes". biffes.org. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "22nd Third Eye Asian Film Festival will be held from January 9 to January 15, 2026!". Cine Buster. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Gondhal film enters Oscar race - beats Dhurandhar and Hanuman Ansh". The Lallantop. 18 September 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "Full-list-of-winners-of-filmfare-awards-marathi". Filmfare.com. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Gondhal-wins-6-out-of-19-nominations-at-the-filmfare-marathi-awards". Navarashtra.com. 8 August 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Padma-vibhushan-ilaiyaraaja-scores-music-for-a-marathi-film-gondhal". cinebuster.in. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026.