Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jan 5: Filmmaker Subodh Khanolkar’s Marathi film Dashavatar has entered the Oscars contention list, the makers confirmed on Sunday, marking a historic moment for Marathi cinema.
Zee Studios announced the milestone on social media, describing Dashavatar as the first Marathi film to reach the prestigious Oscars contention list. “First Marathi film to enter the Oscar contention list. Born of red soil. Carried by tradition. Now global. Dashavatar is heading towards the Oscars!” the post read.
With this development, Dashavatar has officially joined the race for the Academy Awards, becoming the first-ever Marathi film to achieve this feat.
The film’s production house, Ocean Film Company, termed it a landmark achievement, saying the entry reflects the passion, belief and relentless efforts of the entire team. The producers expressed pride in seeing Marathi storytelling receive recognition on a global platform.
Director Subodh Khanolkar also confirmed the news on Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the email received from the Academy. He said Dashavatar has been selected in the main open film category of the Academy Awards contention list and is the only Marathi film among 150 titles chosen from thousands of entries. He further noted that it is the first Marathi film to be screened in the Academy Screening Room.
Written and directed by Khanolkar, Dashavatar stars Dilip Prabhavalkar in the lead role, along with Mahesh Manjrekar, Bharat Jadhav, Siddharth Menon, Priyadarshini Indalkar, Vijay Kenkare, Ravi Kale, Abhinay Berde, Sunil Tawade, Aarti Wadagbalkar and Lokesh Mittal.
The film is produced by Sujay Hande, Onkar Kate, Subodh Khanolkar, Ashok Hande, Aditya Joshi, Nitin Sahasrabudhe, Mrunal Sahasrabudhe, Sanjay Dubey and Vinayak Joshi under the banners of Zee Studios, Ocean Film Company and Ocean Art House Production.
Dashavatar was released in theatres on September 12, 2025. According to The Hollywood Reporter, nominations across categories will be decided between January 12 and 16, 2026, and announced on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.