Set largely over a single night, Gondhal unfolds within the charged space of a sacred Maharashtrian ritual, where devotion and festivities gradually give way to unease, jealousy and violence. In his assured debut, writer-director Santosh Davakhar brings together the textures of folk performance, oral tradition and melodrama, only to quietly subvert them from within. The film’s immersive world-building, shaped by meticulous attention to ritual detail and evocative visual design, anchors a narrative that moves from the familiar to the unsettling with measured control.

Gondhal won the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 2025 International Film Festival of India. In 2026, it picked up Best Director and Best Cinematographer at the Pune International Film Festival, the FIPRESCI Award at the Bengaluru International Film Festival and another Best Director award at the Third Eye Asian International Film Festival. In this interview, Davakhar discusses the film’s long-take opening and his use of ritual and performance as both spectacle and a site of tension, along with the collaborative processes and the formal decisions that guide the narrative towards a darker register.

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Dipankar Sarkar: Gondhal places a sacred night-long ritual at the center of a narrative of betrayal and violence. Why did you choose this subject for your debut?

Santosh Davakhar: In 2016, one of my short films, Adnyat, a National Award-winning film about casteism, was screened at [the] Cannes Short Film Corner. Before the screening, I was inviting people to come and watch it. A journalist from the UK was present there. When I told him about the film, the first thing he asked was, “Is it about poverty?,” and I was surprised. Then he asked another similar question, assuming the film would revolve around the usual stereotypes associated with India. 

I asked him why he had framed the question that way. He told me that this was how Indian films were generally represented internationally. That stayed with me. I felt that we have a rich culture and rituals, and that we should present them proudly on an international stage. That is when I decided that if I were to make a feature film with global appeal, it would emerge from my own culture, which is the Maharashtrian culture and the Gondhal ritual. That is how the film began taking shape.

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DS: The narrative moves from a familiar dramatic trajectory into something more unsettling. What led you to explore the intersection of faith and violence within this shift?

SD: When you make a film, your first responsibility as a director is to engage the audience. When people come to watch your film, you have to hold their attention. That was important for me from the outset. This is the reason why I chose to present these rituals within a framework of deception and intrigue.

Once a story takes the shape of a crime thriller, audiences tend to engage with the cultural elements in a more immediate and compelling way. I also wanted the film to endure the test of time and watch it even 30 or 40 years from now. Whether that happens or not, I hope it can be seen both as a crime thriller and as a reflection of the richness of our ritualistic traditions, and, in some sense, as part of Indian world cinema.

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DS: The attention to Maharashtrian cultural detail is striking, especially in how rituals and customs are woven into the setting. What drew you to bringing this world into a cinematic form?

SD: In India, we have a rich cultural heritage and striking visual traditions. I wanted to bring that culture into a cinematic form, and represent it with a certain visual and narrative integrity.

At the same time, I feel that these live performances are gradually disappearing. I remember performers were often men dressed in sarees, and dancing through the night. It demanded immense physical and emotional endurance. They would begin at night and continue until the first rays of the sun the next day. It wasn’t merely a struggle; it was a form of celebration sustained through effort and devotion.

Seventy or 80 years ago, such performances were among the few sources of entertainment. There was no television, no internet, no alternative distractions. The rituals would last through the night, sometimes for 10 hours, carrying a certain energy and communal intensity.

Today, that duration has shortened. The ritual is often condensed to a few hours. People have other forms of entertainment now. They return home, watch television or go online. That sense of continuity and immersion has largely faded. It was this shift that led me to approach the film as a period piece. and attempt to preserve and evoke a form of cultural experience that is slowly receding.

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DS: Gondhal opens with an extended long take — a formal gesture not revisited thereafter. How do you see this choice shaping the drama that follows?

SD: I have watched a great deal of world cinema, and was particularly drawn to films like Birdman [2014], Roma [2018], 1917 [2019] and The Revenant [2015], especially for their use of the long take. In a long take, the viewer stays with the character as the situation unfolds. In contrast, conventional shot-reverse-shot patterns make you aware of cuts and angles, creating a slight distance. I wanted to avoid that and keep the audience within the flow of the moment.

There was also a personal connection too behind the choice. As a child, I attended these rituals with my grandfather, and I remember the atmosphere, the crowds, the lights, particularly the dominance of red tones. I wanted to recreate that sensory memory.

In the film, the young boy entering the ritual becomes a surrogate for the audience. It is his first experience of the Gondhal, just as it is for many viewers. The long take allows the audience to remain within that space, and experience the unfolding chaos and energy without interruption.

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DS: Could you talk about the logistical challenges of staging such complex sequences with a large ensemble cast, including numerous supporting characters?

SD: We shot in Mumbai, near China Creek on Ghodbunder Road, where we found a forested location that suited our needs. Some visible electrical poles had to be concealed, and much of the set was built from scratch. We were looking for a very specific composition, such as an open space framed by two or three large trees, which proved difficult to find despite extensive scouting across Nashik, Pune and Bhor. When we finally found it, it aligned closely with both my vision and that of the cinematographer.

Moreover, managing a large number of junior artists, especially during long night shoots, was another challenge. Shooting through November and December brought unexpected cold, leading to fatigue and health issues among the crew.

Most importantly, the opening shot, which runs about 25 minutes, required seven to eight days of rehearsal. Every movement had to be precisely timed, and even a minor error meant starting over. It was demanding, but that preparation was essential to achieving the final result.

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DS: The character of Suman is layered and emotionally nuanced. Given that Ishita Deshmukh was making her debut, what was your brief to her?

SD: She is Maharashtrian but grew up in Indore, so she wasn’t fluent in Marathi. Since this was her first film, my brief to her was very clear from the beginning. 

Our casting director had sent me around 40–45 auditions, and I was reviewing them every day. Some actors had issues with performance, others with emotional understanding, and many with diction. It was difficult to find someone who could bring all of these elements together.

In Ishita’s case, what stood out was that she understood the character well, even though her diction needed work. I asked her to audition again. In the meantime, I sent her a few reference videos of local village content that captures the rhythm and tone of everyday speech. She worked on those inputs and, within three to four days, sent another audition. I could already see a 60–70 percent improvement. That gave me confidence — not just in her ability, but in her willingness to work and improve.

Later, she went and stayed in a village near Nashik in Chandwad taluka for a few days. There, she interacted with locals, absorbed the dialect and worked continuously on her speech. By the time we began shooting, there was a marked improvement. In that sense, we were fortunate. She was extremely hardworking, and that commitment made all the difference.

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DS: At the same time, veteran actor Kishor Kadam plays a crucial role in the film. What made you decide to cast him?

SD. While writing the character of Bhivaba, I knew the opening would be a long take of around 20 to 30 minutes. It demanded an actor capable of sustaining a natural, unbroken performance. In such a setup, even a small error can disrupt the audience’s engagement, so casting was critical. That led me to Kishor Kadam. Bhivaba is driven by desire, and a sense of revenge, and I needed an actor who could hold these conflicting impulses with restraint. His instinctive, grounded style felt right for a character with multiple layers.

I approached him while I was on bed rest and asked him to come to Thane. After hearing the narration, he responded with enthusiasm while also taking interest in the larger ensemble. Given that this was my first feature, his willingness to come on board meant a great deal.

He was with us through pre-production, look tests and further discussions, approaching the role with seriousness and discipline — qualities that were essential for executing the long-take sequence.

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DS: How did your collaboration with Amalendu Chaudhary shape the film’s visual design?

SD: At the post-production stage, the art director, the cinematographer Amalendu Chaudhary and I were in constant discussion about the visual approach. While conventional lighting was an option, Amalendu was open to adapting to any light source, be it artificial light, torches or practical elements like red bulbs used within the ritual.

For me, the choice was about authenticity. Standard lighting would have felt only partially satisfying, whereas using natural sources like torches (mashals), oil lamps (palita) and firelight from Petromax lamps would give the imagery a more organic texture, even if it was more demanding. We also layered this with subtle moonlight.

Amalendu’s experience with framing and low-light cinematography was crucial. He immediately understood the intent and helped translate it into a cohesive visual language. Our collaboration goes back to my short film Adnyat, after which we had discussed working together on a larger project.

Given the film’s night setting, I needed an experienced team across departments. Despite this being my first feature, I was supported by seasoned technicians who trusted the vision. We held extensive workshops to align our approach, and I personally designed the Gondhal performances, including the songs and staging. Amalendu remained closely involved throughout, from planning to execution. His command over night lighting and large-scale production played a key role in shaping the film’s visual texture.

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DS: What informed the decision to collaborate with Ilaiyaraaja as the film’s music composer, and how did you communicate its musical world to him?

SD: While researching for the film, I realized that I needed a composer with a deep understanding of traditional sound and instrumentation. Ilaiyaraaja has been part of the music industry for over six decades. In his early years, he performed live in villages with his brother, and it gave him a strong grounding in folk traditions and authentic instruments. That sensibility felt right for a film set in a period roughly 60–70 years in the past. I wanted the music to carry that sense of time, almost as if it belonged to that era.

I reached out through his team and traveled to Chennai to meet him at his studio in Kodambakkam. I showed him material from my earlier work and explained that I was looking for a score built entirely on pre-1970 instrumentation. Nothing modern — only sounds that would feel true to the period.

He responded with great curiosity and suggested that he visit the location himself to understand the milieu better.  What followed was quite remarkable. Despite his age, he traveled to Nashik and spent a couple of days observing the instruments and the live performers associated with the ritual. For our entire team, this was a significant learning experience to watch someone of his stature engage with such openness and dedication.

During the background score process, he spent nearly two weeks on the film, which, as he mentioned, was far longer than he usually devotes to a project. That level of involvement meant a great deal to us. The process itself was extraordinary, seeing live instruments come together, often at very short notice, and witnessing how the music evolved in real time. Observing his process, his instinct and his command over sound was an invaluable experience. To have had that collaboration on my very first film is something I consider a privilege and a lasting memory.

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DS: You won the Best Director award at the International Film Festival of India. How does this recognition for a debut venture?

SD: Recognition is a strong motivator for any artist. We had submitted the film in the debut category, but its selection for the main competition at the International Film Festival of India itself felt like a significant achievement for a first film.

I kept my expectations modest, given the strength of the international lineup, though there was a quiet hope that the film or its performances might be recognized. When the awards were announced, several major honors went to international films. So, when Best Director was called and my name was announced, it came as a surprise.

For me, that recognition belongs to the entire team. A Best Director award reflects the collective effort of every department coming together. To receive it for a debut film, and in the main competition, is something I see as a lasting milestone — one that also brings a sense of expectation for what comes next.

Dipankar Sarkar (@Dipankar_Tezpur) is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic based in India. As a freelancer, he regularly contributes to various Indian publications on cinema-related topics.

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