Review: India’s Oscar pick ‘Gondhal’ is a rural lust story about macho men and wily women

Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi-language Gondhal opens with a virtuoso continuous take that begins in the woods by night, winds past a religious function in a nearby village and then travels all the way into a young woman’s room. Over nearly 24 minutes, Davakhar and cinematographer Amalendu Chaudhary lay out the physical terrain and psychological geography of a place that will be transformed by the next morning.

The woman is Suman (Ishita Deshmukh), recently married to a wealthy villager’s son, Anandrao (Yogesh Sohani). A gentle soul who is mocked for his perceived effeteness, Anandrao is trying hard to keep with his beautiful and coveted bride.

One of Suman’s visitors is Bhivaba (Kishor Kadam), a Jagran Gondhal artist. The folk tradition propitiates the gods while also cautioning straying humans through songs and skits. Bhivaba is the designated flame-keeper in the performance – a role that has added meaning in a film bubbling with deception.

Bhivaba has not recovered from his son’s mysterious death, which has been blamed on the tyrannical village chief Aabasaheb (Suresh Vishwakarma). If I don’t use what belongs to others, how will I be taken seriously, Abasaheb argues.

This ruthless man’s virile son Sarjerao (Nishad Bhoir) is besotted with Suman. Sarjerao hopes to have his way with Suman by...

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