Marathi film Dashavatar enters Oscars contention, a first for the language

Dashavatar, a Marathi-language film written and directed by Subodh Khanolkar, has been placed on the Academy Awards contention list, marking an unprecedented moment for Marathi cinema.

The makers confirmed on January 4 that the film has entered the main open competition category for the upcoming Academy Awards, becoming the first Marathi film to reach this stage. Zee Studios, which backs the project, announced the development on social media, calling it a landmark achievement for the industry.

Khanolkar said he received official communication from the Academy confirming Dashavatar’s inclusion in the contention list. He noted that the film is the only Marathi title among more than 150 films selected globally and the first from the language to be screened in the Academy’s official viewing room.

Produced by Ocean Film Company in collaboration with Zee Studios and Ocean Art House Production, Dashavatar stars Dilip Prabhavalkar in the lead role, alongside Mahesh Manjrekar, Bharat Jadhav, Siddharth Menon, Priyadarshini Indalkar, Vijay Kenkare, Ravi Kale, Abhinay Berde, Sunil Tawade, Aarti Wadagbalkar and Lokesh Mittal.

The film was released in theatres on September 12, 2025. As per the Academy’s schedule, voting for nominations across categories will take place from January 12–16, 2026, with nominees to be announced on January 22, 2026. The awards ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.