With his Marathi film Gondhal selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars this year, filmmaker Santosh Davakhar is soaking in this "proud moment" for his entire team and family. “It’s a really proud feeling. It’s the effort of my whole Gondhal team and great support from my family. It’s amazing to epresent your country at an international level. It feels like I am going to the Olympics,” he tells HT City exclusively.
The filmmaker says the idea behind Gondhal came from his experiences at international film festivals, particularly Cannes. He continues, “I decided to make this film according to international taste. I wanted it to compete at that level. When I had been to festivals like Cannes, I found that the perception of Indian cinema is that our films are around poverty and casteism. I personally feel I should represent our country’s rich heritage and culture. That’s why I decided to make Gondhal,” he says.
He believes that his own struggles, first as a child labourer and then a filmmaker, also helped him understand and create his characters better. “Aisa hai, director ko har struggle se jaana chahiye, aisa mera maana hai. Tabhi aap character ko samajh paate ho. Yes, I have gone through a lot of struggle. It reflects in every character I designed, that’s a great thing. Experience ka joda jab khulta hai, tab achhe characters nikalte hain. Vahi Gondhal ke saath hua hai,” he says.
Santosh earlier did a short course from the Film and Television Institute of India, while his time at Cannes film festival further influenced him. “When I was at Cannes, I used to see three-four films every day. That compelled me to make a film like Gondhal,” he recalls.
{{/usCountry}}Santosh earlier did a short course from the Film and Television Institute of India, while his time at Cannes film festival further influenced him. “When I was at Cannes, I used to see three-four films every day. That compelled me to make a film like Gondhal,” he recalls.
{{/usCountry}}The filmmaker is now looking forward to bringing it to audiences again, after an initial run in November last year, "Jaldi hi release hone wali hai, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada mein. OTT ya mobile pe dekhne layak nahi hai. Jitnon ne bhi dekhi, kaha OTT pe mat dekho, theatres mein dekho. Pehla shot one take, 26 minutes ka hai. It will astonish you,” he says. Gondhal, he reveals, revolves around “desire, deception. And the Gondhal ritual which is the pride of Maharashtra.”
As for the Oscars campaign, Santosh says preparations are already underway. “We have already hired a social media team from Finland. And a media PR from Los Angeles, she is very good. In the last 20 years, she has worked on 27 films that were nominated. We know how we are going to represent our country at the international level,” he says.
For him, the selection is also a significant moment for Marathi cinema, “It’s a big win for regional cinema. A Marathi film, after 11 years, is going for the Oscars.”