Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar franchise has been one of the major talking points in Indian cinema, but the films will not represent India as the official entry at the 2027 Academy Awards. Both Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge were considered during the selection process for India’s official Oscar entry.
The Film Federation of India eventually selected the Marathi film Gondhal for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The decision came after a selection process involving 33 films from different Indian languages.
Vivek Vaswani Reveals Why Dhurandhar Was Not Selected
Vivek Vaswani, who was part of the 14-member jury, has now spoken about the selection process. According to Vaswani, some jury members liked Dhurandhar, but the panel did not consider it suitable as India’s Oscar submission.
He explained that the jury was looking for a film that represented Indian culture in a particular way. In the panel’s assessment, Dhurandhar and its sequel did not provide the kind of cultural representation the jury was seeking.
Vaswani’s comments offer an insight into the jury’s reasoning behind the decision, especially given the commercial success and popularity of the Dhurandhar franchise.
Dhurandhar Received Four Votes From the Jury
One of the key details revealed by Vivek Vaswani concerns the voting process. When asked how many members of the 14-person jury voted in favour of Dhurandhar, he said the film received four votes.
The figure provides a glimpse into how the jury evaluated the film during the selection process. While Dhurandhar had significant audience popularity, the official Oscar selection involved a different set of considerations, including the film’s suitability to represent India in the international category.
Gondhal Selected as India’s Official Oscar Entry
Marathi film Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, was ultimately chosen as India’s official entry for the 2027 Oscars.
The film emerged from a field of 33 submissions that included movies in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam and other languages. The final selection followed the jury’s evaluation of the competing films.
Gondhal is a thriller rooted in Maharashtra’s traditional Gondhal ritual and folk-performance tradition. Its cultural setting became an important aspect of the film’s identity during the selection process.
The movie stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu. Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music for the film.
Dhurandhar’s Commercial Success Was Not Enough for the Selection
The decision has attracted attention because of the commercial performance of the Dhurandhar franchise. Ranveer Singh leads the franchise, which is directed by Aditya Dhar.
The first film, Dhurandhar, was released in December 2025, followed by Dhurandhar: The Revenge in March 2026. Together, the two films reportedly earned around ₹3,000 crore worldwide.
However, commercial success is separate from the process of selecting India’s official Oscar entry. The jury evaluates films for their suitability in representing India in the Best International Feature Film category, rather than simply choosing a film based on box-office performance.
What Happens After India’s Official Selection?
Not being selected as India’s official entry does not necessarily mean that a film cannot have any connection with the Oscars. Films can potentially pursue other routes of eligibility depending on the Academy’s rules and categories.
A notable example is RRR, which was not India’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category but received Oscar recognition in another category, with its song “Naatu Naatu” winning Best Original Song.
Therefore, the selection of Gondhal as India’s official entry does not erase Dhurandhar from the broader conversation around international recognition.
Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar Franchise Continues to Make Headlines
Despite missing out on India’s official Oscar entry, Dhurandhar remains one of Ranveer Singh’s most prominent recent projects. The franchise has generated significant discussion because of its scale, performances and box-office performance.
Vivek Vaswani’s latest comments have now added another chapter to the film’s journey. His explanation makes clear that the jury’s decision involved considerations beyond popularity and commercial success.
With Gondhal now representing India at the 2027 Oscars, attention will shift towards its journey at the Academy Awards, while Dhurandhar continues to remain a major topic among Bollywood audiences.
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