Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi thriller Gondhal has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards. The film will compete in the Best International Feature Film category, which was earlier known as Best Foreign Language Film.

The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced the selection on Friday, September 18. Gondhal was chosen by an expert jury from more than 30 films that were considered for India’s Oscar submission this year.

Directed by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal is a thriller rooted in the cultural traditions of Maharashtra. The film takes its name from the traditional midnight folk ritual and unfolds over a tense night during a sacred ceremony. Blending elements of local heritage with suspense, the film follows a series of unexpected events that take place through the course of the night.

The film’s Oscar selection adds another milestone to the journey of Marathi cinema on the international stage. Gondhal is the fourth Marathi-language film to be chosen as India’s official Oscar entry, following Shwaas in 2005, Harishchandrachi Factory in 2009 and Court in 2015.

Davakhar has also received recognition for his work as a director. He won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for Gondhal.

Following the announcement, members of the Indian film industry and artists welcomed the film’s selection. According to FFI officials, the jury was drawn to the film’s strong regional identity while also finding its themes accessible to a wider audience.

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India is yet to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Over the years, three Indian films have received nominations in the category Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan.

With Gondhal now representing India in the Oscar race, the film will enter the next phase of its international campaign ahead of the 99th Academy Awards. The ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027.

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Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has added another major milestone to its already impressive theatrical run, crossing the Rs 300-crore mark worldwide. The Girish AD directorial, which brought Nivin Pauly back into the spotlight alongside Mamitha Baiju, has continued to draw audiences nearly a month after its release, with the film recording packed shows even in its fourth week.

What makes the latest milestone particularly interesting, however, is the way the makers have chosen to celebrate it. Rather than unveiling another conventional success poster dominated by the lead actors, Bhavana Studios has turned the attention towards the filmmaking team that helped shape the film.

A celebration that puts the crew first

The new Rs 300-crore poster features director Girish AD, writer Kiran Josey, cinematographer Ajmal Sabu and editor Aakash Joseph Varghese, with producers Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran also finding a place in the artwork. The decision reflects the collaborative nature of the film and gives the technicians a rare moment in the spotlight during a major commercial milestone.

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has now become the fastest Malayalam film to cross the Rs 300-crore mark worldwide, achieving the feat in 24 days. The film had already crossed Rs 300 crore by its fourth week and continued to maintain a strong theatrical presence thereafter. On its 28th day, it was reported to be running to full houses across 266 theatres.

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The achievement comes after a steady build-up at the box office. Released on August 21, the film initially drew attention for bringing together Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju with the team behind Premalu and I Love You, among other successful collaborations. Its reception subsequently translated into sustained footfalls, with the film attracting both family audiences and younger viewers.

The success has also given Nivin Pauly one of the biggest theatrical milestones of his career. After a period in which the actor’s films had not matched the scale of his earlier successes, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has emerged as a significant comeback vehicle, while extending his association with the kind of character-driven Malayalam cinema that has defined several phases of his career.

Beyond Kerala, the film keeps growing

A major factor in the film’s run has been its performance outside Kerala. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has found audiences in Tamil Nadu, the Andhra-Telangana region and the GCC markets, helping its worldwide gross move beyond the Rs 300-crore mark. Its continued theatrical momentum has also been fuelled by repeat viewings, with the film maintaining strong occupancy well into its fourth week.

The ensemble cast includes Sangeeth Prathap, Suresh Krishna, Bindu Panicker, Vinay Forrt, Roshan Shanavas, Shyam Mohan, Shameer Khan, Srinda, Parvathy Ayyappadas and Meenakshi Raveendran. Behind them, the film’s technical team has played an important role in establishing its tone and visual identity, with Vishnu Vijay handling the music, Ajmal Sabu serving as cinematographer and Aakash Joseph Varghese taking charge of the editing.

For a film that has been driven as much by its ensemble and everyday emotional appeal as its lead pairing, the decision to make its Rs 300-crore celebration about the people behind the camera feels fitting. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’s latest milestone is therefore not merely another box-office number, but also a reminder of the collaborative work that goes into turning a theatrical release into a long-running audience favourite.

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The makers of Sigma have unveiled the official trailer of the upcoming action entertainer, offering a glimpse into the world created by debutant director Jason Sanjay. Starring Sundeep Kishan in the lead, the film appears to blend crime, action and humour around an unlikely protagonist who finds himself drawn into a high-stakes heist.

Jason Sanjay, son of actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay, makes his directorial debut with the film. The trailer introduces Sundeep as a radio host whose desire to help others pushes him towards a risky plan. What begins with an intention to do the right thing soon places him in the middle of a dangerous criminal operation.

At the centre of the heist is Kotlapadi Veeraiya Reddy, played by Sampath Raj. The character is established as a powerful underworld figure whose operations become the target of Sundeep’s ambitious protagonist. The trailer suggests that pulling off the heist is only the beginning, with the story likely following the consequences of his actions and the adventures that unfold thereafter.

Sundeep Kishan’s Radio Host Gets Into Trouble

The trailer keeps the protagonist’s motivations relatively grounded even as the scale of his predicament grows. Sundeep’s character is not introduced as a conventional action hero. Instead, he appears to be an ordinary man who makes an extraordinary decision, setting off a chain of events that brings him face to face with people far more dangerous than himself.

That contrast seems to form the central hook of Sigma. The radio-host setting also gives the film a distinctive starting point before the narrative moves into the world of crime and heists. Sampath Raj’s Veeraiya Reddy, meanwhile, appears to provide the imposing antagonist against whom the protagonist’s plan will unfold.

The cast also features Faria Abdullah, Raju Sundaram, Shiv Panditt, Anbu Thasan, Yog Japee, Magalakshmi, Sheela Rajkumar, Kamalesh and Kiran Konda, among others. With an ensemble that includes performers from different corners of the South Indian film industry, the film appears to be aiming for a broad commercial appeal.

Jason Sanjay Makes His Directorial Debut

Sigma marks Jason Sanjay’s first outing as a director, with Lyca Productions backing the project. The film brings together a technical team with considerable experience across Tamil cinema.

Thaman has composed the music, while Vivek and Super Subbu have penned the lyrics. Krishnan Vasant serves as the cinematographer, with Praveen KL handling the editing and Benjamin M taking charge of the production design. The action choreography is handled by Venkat and Silva.

The trailer also establishes Sigma as a film that intends to keep its narrative moving through a combination of crime, action and lighter moments. Rather than revealing the entire trajectory of the story, the glimpse leaves the protagonist’s continuing adventures as one of the film’s central mysteries.

For Jason Sanjay, the film represents the first major step into filmmaking after growing up in one of Tamil cinema’s most prominent film families. For Sundeep Kishan, it is another opportunity to explore a character that begins far removed from the traditional action-hero template.

With its trailer now out, Sigma has put its central heist and the conflict with Veeraiya Reddy in the spotlight. How the radio host navigates the dangerous world he chooses to enter will be at the heart of Jason Sanjay’s directorial debut.

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