Santosh Davakhar

Santosh Davakhar wrote, directed and produced Gondhal, his first feature. It won him the Silver Peacock for Best Director at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025, and on 18 September 2026 the Film Federation of India selected it from 33 films as India’s official entry to the 99th Academy Awards, in the Best International Feature Film category.

He co-founded Davakhar Films with Diksha Davakhar. A good reader and spokesperson, he is a project consultant by profession and a social activist, and he began his career as a professor. He has completed a short course in screenplay writing from the Film and Television Institute of India. His dedication to films is immense, and he uses them to portray various social issues.

His short film Adnyat, which showcases classism, won the Rajat Kamal for Best Cinematography (Non-Feature Film) at the 64th National Film Awards in 2017; the award went to its cinematographer, Vishal Sangwai, and was shared with Kalpvriksha. He has also directed a government ad film for a cashless economy.