Child labourer-turned-award-winning filmmaker Santosh Davakhar’s films carry lessons he has learnt from life

Davakhar was in school when he realised that he was different from his classmates. “My school friends had money, and I didn’t have any. My family lived in a chawl and, from the time I was in Class 9 or 10, I used to pay my school fees by coaching younger children,” he says.

A topper in school until his job cut down his study time and took him down to second class, Davakhar made sure he completed graduation and post-graduation in Economics.

During those difficult growing-up years, Davakhar, an avid reader, discovered cinema. As he stepped out of a darkened hall, his mind spun with comments, opinions and ideas. Today, his films carry lessons he learnt from Lagaan, Border and No Man’s Land, among others.

“Filmmaking is the world’s most expensive hobby, but I wanted to enter the field. I waited until I had achieved financial stability by running several businesses, including coaching and construction, before picking up a camera. In my films, you will find no two characters are alike. This is because I have met so many people since my childhood,” he says.

His short film Party, made in 2013-14, was about malnutrition. In 2017, Adnyat, a dialogue-free short film on caste, won the Silver Lotus Award for Best Cinematography (Non-Feature Film) at the 64th National Film Awards. Antar-19 is a Covid film about a nurse trying to balance her duties and family life during the pandemic.

Gondhal was made in 2025. Two months ago, it won Best Director in the main international competition at IFFI, an honour that had not gone to an Indian filmmaker for six years. This was the first time for a Marathi film.

The Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) jury applauded his “exceptional direction”. “With a distinct cinematic vision and strong narrative command, Santosh Davakhar delivers a compelling directorial achievement,” said the citation.

Self-taught filmmaker

What most of the audience could not have guessed was that Davakhar is a self-taught filmmaker whose only training has been a 45-day screenplay writing course at FTII in 2019. Gondhal’s one-take shots, especially the breathtaking one of almost 25 minutes at the beginning of the film, have been inspired by Oscar-winning films such as Roma and Birdman.

Gondhal opens to a dark screen, setting the stage for the thriller that will unfold. “The Lord Khanderaya comes down to the Gondhal to remove all obstacles from the newlywed couple’s future paths. The entire village stays awake all night. They offer him sweets and summon him,” says an elderly Gondhal performer to his grandson as they walk to the performance by the light of a lantern.

“So, did we not perform the Gondhal at my father’s wedding? Will my mother be present at tonight’s Gondhal?” asks the child. It is the first sign of the film’s complex plot. The film revolves around a young wife, a plan to murder, and a fatal turn of events. All through are the drums of the ritual and omens.

‘Need to present our rich culture’

“I was in Cannes, pitching my film Adnyat to a person from the UK, and he asked me if it was about poverty. During my visit to Cannes, I learned that the world sees Indian films through the lens of poverty. I promised myself that I would tell my story about my culture at the international and national levels. We do have a rich culture, and we should present it proudly,” says Davakhar, whose grandfather used to take him to Gondhal performances in Sinner, Nashik.

The film draws attention to the art form that is slowly fading. “The performance would go on through the night and end with the first rays of the sun. The performers used to fill the space with energy. Now, the performance timing is getting shorter. In the last 20 or 30 years, the ceremony has been closing by 3 am,” he says.