Filmmaker Subodh Khanolkar’s Marathi film Dashavatar has entered the Oscars contention list, the makers announced recently.

“This is a milestone moment for us and for Marathi cinema. Dashavatar, Ocean Film Company's debut film, entering the Oscars is a testament to the passion, belief and relentless effort of our entire team. We are honoured and grateful to see Marathi storytelling shine on a global platform,” the film’s production house, Ocean Film Company, said in a statement.

Written and directed by Khanolkar, Dashavatar stars Dilip Prabhavalkar in the lead role. It released in theatres on September 12 , 2025.

A film in contention is not a country’s official entry

The Oscars contention list represents the initial eligibility stage of the Academy Awards. Films that meet the Academy’s criteria can submit themselves for consideration across general categories by fulfilling eligibility requirements, paying fees and completing the formal submission process.

These films are then reviewed by Academy members for potential nomination.

A film in contention is not the same as a country’s official Oscars entry. India’s official submission in the Best International Feature Film category this year is Homebound.

What is the eligibility criteria and shortlisting process

According to the Academy’s official website, to qualify for general categories, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theatre in at least one of six US metropolitan areas—Los Angeles County; New York City; the San Francisco Bay Area; Chicago; Miami; or Atlanta—complete a minimum seven-day consecutive run at the same venue, and have a running time of more than 40 minutes.

Once a film enters the contention phase, its makers are given several months to campaign for nominations under the Academy’s For Your Consideration guidelines. Some categories subsequently release shortlists through preliminary voting rounds, before final nominations are announced.

About the film

The ensemble cast of Dashavatar includes 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.

Oscar nomination and announcement dates

Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be decided between January 12-16, and announced on January 22 . The awards ceremony will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.