The Marathi-language psychological thriller Gondhal, directed by first-time filmmaker Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India's submission for consideration at the 2027 Academy Awards. Theja Rio, also making his feature debut behind the camera, brings Angh into contention for the Best International Film award.
Set in the Konyak language, Rio's drama traces how the Konyak people of Nagaland have navigated their way of life alongside the spread of Christianity in the region. Nagaland's transition to statehood in 1962 forms the backdrop for Angh, a narrative centred on one village chief's efforts to preserve the traditions and identity of his people.
At the centre of the story is a conflict between the village chief and a Baptist missionary from America whose religious work has drawn the local population away from their traditions, setting off disputes over faith and family loyalty.
Angh fell outside India's official Oscar submission process, yet a Toronto International Film Festival prize opened a path to international feature film consideration at the Academy Awards. Following the Toronto victory, Rio, 31, said a large number of congratulatory messages had come his way. He described the experience as one he could barely put into words and said the recognition carried deep personal weight.
Built on the foundation of a short film Rio released under the same title in 2021, Angh develops that earlier work into a fuller piece. Born in Kohima, Nagaland, Rio received his formal training at the National Film and Television School in the UK, building a body of short-film work — among them Ade (On a Sunday) — that laid the groundwork for his next feature-length project.
A Baptist by faith, Rio holds a family connection to Nagaland's Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. The filmmaker drew a distinction, noting that Angh sets out to portray the tensions inherent in cultural collision rather than pass judgement on the act of proselytization itself. Rio offered the view that, alongside a perceived erosion of local heritage, the religion has also fostered a sense of stability and renewed purpose within the community. The film is narrated through the Angh's perspective, centring on his bond with his son and the hardships he faces, and does not present the missionary's point of view.
Television served as Rio's main gateway to cinema during a childhood spent in an area where film culture had little presence. A family outing to Delhi in 2003 introduced him to cinema on the big screen, with Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's final Lord of the Rings instalment providing that debut experience.
A journey through Mon, in the eastern reaches of Nagaland, brought Rio into contact with the Konyak people — an encounter that took shape as the character Angh. He described the location as one where he felt pulled between long-standing tradition and the pace of modern daily life, as though occupying two distinct eras at the same time.
Archival materials supplied by American missionaries were woven into the production alongside footage captured on 16mm film, a combination chosen to evoke the texture of an earlier era. Rio and cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz pursued restrained, largely stationary framing — a choice they described as suited to the unhurried rhythm of the Angh's daily existence.
Among those joining the production are first-time screen performers, with stand-up comedian Anglong Konyak stepping into the role of the Angh. Recruiting performers in Mon proved difficult, given that exposure to the film industry was limited among the area's residents. Performers were drawn from auditions run out of a Kohima workshop. Anglong Konyak came to Rio's attention through an internet search, with the comedian's instinctive stage presence and sense of timing pointing toward a natural fit for the part.
Co-producer Nancy Nisa Beso noted that while Angh gained recognition in Toronto, the road toward Oscar consideration carries its own set of hurdles. Drawing on a background built across the industry, she has directed her focus toward positioning the film within Hollywood. Having grown up alongside Rio, Beso took an active role in steering him toward filmmaking and has served as producer on every short film he has made. She described the Toronto accolade as a turning point for the production's trajectory.
Angh's place in the Toronto festival lineup was confirmed following a selection process that drew entries from filmmakers with longer track records in the industry. The Platform award recognition positions the film's Oscar push as a drawn-out and resource-intensive endeavour, a notable challenge given the production's limited financial backing. Without the endorsement of the Film Federation of India — the organisation responsible for selecting the country's annual Oscar entry — Beso faced a considerably harder road in building an audience for Angh.
The Toronto honour carries weight that film awards circuits tend to notice, and that recognition can factor into how Oscar prospects are assessed. Both Beso and sales agent Gaurav Dhingra pointed to the mechanics of the selection process, rather than any deficiency in the films themselves, as a factor in India's Oscar nomination record. The push they described was toward backing productions with a genuine foothold in global markets rather than those oriented primarily around showcasing Indian cultural identity.
Efforts to find a distribution partner for Angh — spanning both the Indian market and international territories — are moving forward, with Dhingra positioned as the project's worldwide sales representative. Debuting at the Toronto festival — a venue that has historically served as a platform for awards-season contenders — may lend the film a degree of momentum heading into the awards race. Dhingra laid out a case for careful planning around the film's release window and outreach strategy, with Oscar voters in mind as the primary audience to reach.
Nominee announcements are set for January 17, ahead of the Oscar ceremony taking place on March 14. Dhingra noted that Angh's position outside the established party structure sets it apart from other contenders. He also pointed to Nagaland as a source of further productions down the line.
