Marathi movie knotted has been selected as India’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The selection has sparked debate after filmmaker Anurag Kashyap questioned India’s selection, arguing that the country often missed opportunities to send films that he felt had strong international potential.
what is happening
knotted Director Santosh Dwakhar has responded to Kashyap’s comment. He shared his response in the comments section of the social media post discussing the filmmaker’s comments.
Dwakhar said that he respects Kashyap and met him earlier this year. According to the director, the two met on a Bengaluru-Mumbai flight on April 26, where he introduced Kashyap to Gondhal.
He wrote, “I deeply respect Anurag Kashyap sir and his filmmaking. On the 26th April 23:55 Bengaluru-Mumbai flight, I introduced Gondal to him. He said he had not heard of it or seen it, but would do so. Since then it has neither been publicly available nor screened in Mumbai.”
Dwakhar also urged the audience to watch the film before forming an opinion about it. He highlighted that Gondal comes from a debut filmmaker outside the traditional film industry and described it as a psychological thriller that combines elements of Marathi culture with a broad appeal.
He concluded by saying, “My humble request to all viewers, please watch the film before passing judgment. Made by a debut filmmaker from outside the film fraternity, Gondhal is a psychological thriller that blends Marathi culture with universal appeal. It is made for the big screen-not OTT. We feel it is our responsibility to represent the country coming to India and please do not let down our country watching it.” And stand behind us as we face the world.”
What did Anurag Kashyap say?
Anurag Kashyap said lunchbox And We imagine like light Discussing the films he thinks should have been nominated for the Oscars.
He also spoke about the importance of international festival exposure and distribution for a film hoping to make an impact at the Academy Awards.
He added, “The most important qualification for eligibility is that the film must have gone to an international festival outside India or have an American distributor or an American distributor before the end of the year. Gondal should try to get seen in festivals first. That should be the first step, or all the money spent on screening or advertising is wasted. Also, Gondal has won a Silver Film Festival. There, NFDC should play a role in presenting its regional IFFI winners for exposure to international festivals.”
More about knotted
Written and directed by Santosh Dwakhar, knotted is a Marathi psychological thriller starring Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Kishore Kadam, Suresh Vishwakarma, Nishad Bhoir, Anuj Prabhu and Vitthal Kale.
The film takes inspiration from the traditional knotted Riti Riwaj, a centuries-old Maharashtrian folk performance that combines devotional singing, music and dance.
Dwakhar was previously recognized at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where he won the Silver Peacock for Best Director for Gondhal. The film is now all set to represent India in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.