Marathi cinema just had its global mic-drop moment. Dilip Prabhavalkar’s Dashavatar (2025) has entered the Oscars contention list, making it the first Marathi film to do so — and that’s no small feat. Rooted in Indian mythology yet told with universal themes, the film’s journey from regional favourite to international hopeful has set tongues wagging across film circles. The achievement has sparked fresh conversations about regional stories finally getting their due on the world stage, beyond subtitles and sidebars. While the final nominations are still awaited, Dashavatar’s presence alone signals a quiet shift: Indian cinema’s global ambitions are no longer limited to Hindi films — and that’s something worth celebrating.