Homebound at Academy Awards 2026: Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, and co-produced by Karan Johar, has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. The Bollywood film is among the 15 others shortlisted in the category and has advanced to the next round of voting for the Oscars 2026. Inspired by a true incident, the film features young actors Ishan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa.
Homebound also won the second runner-up in the International People’s Choice Awards at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Despite having the Hollywood icon Martin Scorsese as the executive producer, it had a modest run at the box office, grossing nearly Rs 2.65 crore worldwide, as per Sacnilk.
Films nominated for Best International Feature Film
Apart from Homebound, there are fourteen films as the top contenders for the Oscar title. They include – Argentina’s Belén, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Germany’s Sound of Falling, Iraq’s The President’s Cake, Japan’s Kokuho, Jordan’s All That’s Left of You, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Palestine’s Palestine 36, South Korea’s No Other Choice, Spain’s Sirât, Switzerland’s Late Shift, Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl and Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Homebound made a debut at the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. It received critical acclaim, rave reviews, and then became India’s official entry to the Oscars. Last year, Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan’s Laapata Ladies entered the race, but was ruled out shortly. On the other hand, RRR made history when its song ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 95th Oscars in 2023.
Expressing their happiness for Homebound’s historic moment, Ghaywan and Karan Johar wrote on social media, “We made the shortlist. Way to go, team Homebound.”
About Homebound
Following the central characters and childhood friends, Shoaib and Chandan, Homebound follows the intense caste-based experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. The best friends, both from marginalised communities in India, dream of joining the police force. Facing extreme discrimination, they return home due to the pandemic. The brutally honest and emotional plot of the film takes the viewer on a journey like no other and explores the hardships migrant aspirants face during the tumultuous time.