India, Sept. 20 -- D irector Santosh Davakhar is calling Gondhal's selection as India's official entry to the Oscars a "proud moment" for the entire team. He tells us, "It's amazing to represent your country at an international level. It feels like I am going to the Olympics." Davakhar says the idea for the Marathi film was shaped by his experiences at international film festivals, particularly Cannes. "I decided to make this film according to international taste. I wanted it to compete at that level. When I attend festivals like Cannes, I found that the perception of Indian cinema is that our films are around poverty and casteism. I personally feel I should represent our country's rich heritage and culture," he says. The filmmaker, who worked as a child labourer and eventually entered cinema, says his own struggles helped him understand his characters better: "Director ko har struggle se jaana chahiye...Tabhi aap character ko samajh paate ho. I have gone through a lot of struggle. It reflects in every character I designed. Experience ka joda jab khulta hai, tab achhe characters nikalte hain." With the Oscar campaign now underway, Davakhar adds, "We have already hired a social media team from Finland, and a media PR from Los Angeles."...