India, Jan. 5 -- In a landmark moment for Marathi and regional Indian cinema, filmmaker Subodh Khanolkar's feature film Dashavatar has officially entered the Oscar contention list ahead of the upcoming 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026). The news was confirmed by director Subodh Khanolkar.

The Oscar contention list is curated from over 2,000 submissions from around the world, and only a select 150-250 titles make it through to this stage. Inclusion in the list marks the first official step in the Academy's evaluation process and puts Dashavatar in direct competition with some of the year's most acclaimed international films.

The news was confirmed by Zee Studios on social media, which hailed the development as a "historic moment for Mara...