Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound shortlisted for Oscars 2026; Karan Johar calls journey ‘overwhelming’
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Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and produced by Dharma Movies, has been shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, emerging as the only Indian film to make the cut this year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists across 12 categories, with 15 films advancing in the International Feature Film segment. The final nominations will be revealed on January 22, 2026, while the awards ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026.
Backed by filmmaker Karan Johar, Homebound adds to a small but significant list of Indian films to gain sustained recognition across major global platforms. Johar, reacting to the announcement, described the film’s trajectory—from its festival premiere at Cannes to the Oscars shortlist—as “overwhelming,” calling it a proud addition to Dharma Movies’ filmography.
“From Cannes to being on the Oscar shortlist, this has been an extraordinary journey,” Johar said in a social media post, crediting director Neeraj Ghaywan and the film’s cast and crew for the milestone.
January 2026
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Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, and follows two childhood friends whose aspirations to join the police force unfold against the pressures of modern India. The film is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s essay Taking Amrit Home, which examines friendship, loss, and institutional realities during the pandemic.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, before its global release on Netflix on November 21. The festival-first, platform-backed strategy has increasingly become a key route for Indian independent and mid-budget films seeking global visibility.
In the International Feature Film category, Homebound faces competition from films including France’s It Was Just an Accident, South Korea’s No Other Choice, Germany’s Sound of Falling, Argentina’s Belén, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl, and Japan’s Kokuho, among others.
The film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Marijke deSouza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier as co-producers. Notably, Martin Scorsese and Pravin Khairnar serve as executive producers, underscoring the project’s international collaboration and positioning.
As the Academy narrows the shortlist to five nominees in the coming weeks, Homebound stands out not only for its storytelling but also as a case study in how Indian cinema is increasingly leveraging global festivals, strategic partnerships, and streaming platforms to compete on the world’s most influential awards stage.