Dashavatar Enters Oscars 2026 Contention List: All You Need to Know About the Marathi Cinema’s Record-Breaking Hit

On Sunday, Zee Studios shared the biggest news ever! Subodh Khanolkar’s Marathi film Dashavatar entered the Oscars contention list. The official social media announcement read, “First Marathi film to enter the Oscar contention list. Born of red soil. Carried by tradition. Now global. Dashavatar is heading towards the Oscars!” It is the first-ever highest-grossing Marathi film to make it to the prestigious list of the Academy Awards. 

Out of over 2,000 global entries, around 150 to 200 movies were selected for the contention list. The director, cast, and crew shared their excitement as the Dilip Prabhavalkar starrer will be shown in the Academy Screening Room.

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Dilip Prabhavalkar’s Dashavatar Creates History, Enters Oscars 2026

 

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Dashavatar stars veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar in the lead role. It is a suspenseful thriller that explores the essence of a dying folk art shape. The movie revolves around the story of Babuli Mestry, an elderly performer of Dashavatara, a colourful Konkani theatre that uses of song, dance, and unadulterated emotion to bring Lord Vishnu’s 10 incarnations to life. The adventure drama thriller film’s gross box office collection in India was Rs 24.18 crore. 

Dashavatar Trailer

Alongside the 81-year-old lead actor, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Dashavatar features a stellar star cast comprising Mahesh Manjrekar, Bharat Jadhav, Siddharth Menon, Priyadarshini Indalkar, Vijay Kenkare, Sunil Tawade, Aarti Wadagbalkar, Lokesh Mittal, and others. 

Bankrolled by Sujay Hande, Onkar Kate, Khanolkar, Ashok Hande, Aditya Joshi, Nitin Sahasrabudhe, Mrunal Sahasrabudhe, Sanjay Dubey, and Vinayak Joshi under the banner of Zee Studios, Ocean Film Company, and Ocean Art House Production, the film was released in theatres on September 12, 2025. 

On the other hand, Ishan Khatter starrer Homebound has been shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film and Mahavatar Narsimha for Best Animated Feature Film categories. According to reports, the nominations for all categories will be finalized between January 12 to 16, 2026, and the final list will be announced on January 22, 2026. Last but not least, the 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.