MUMBAI: Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, the critically acclaimed drama about two rural friends and their aspirations, has been shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars, alongside 14 other films.
Producer Karan Johar said he was over the moon with the journey of Homebound, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Homebound will vie for an Oscar nomination alongside Argentina’s Belén, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, French drama It Was Just an Accident, Germany’s Sound of Falling and Iraq’s The President’s Cake.
The other films on the shortlist include Japan’s Kokuho, Jordan’s All That’s Left of You, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Palestine’s Palestine 36, South Korean hit No Other Choice, Spain’s Sirat, Switzerland’s Late Shift, Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl and Tunisian drama The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Johar celebrated the news by sharing a screenshot of the Oscars shortlist mentioning Homebound in the international feature category. “We made the shortlist! Way to go team Homebound!” he wrote, calling Ghaywan the “star” of the film’s journey.
Sharing the same image in another post, Johar said he was at a loss for words to describe how “proud, elated and over the moon” he felt. “All of us at @dharmamovies are privileged to have this proud and important film in our filmography. Thank you @neeraj.ghaywan for making so many dreams of ours come true. From Cannes to being on the Oscar shortlist, this has been such an overwhelming journey. Love to the entire cast and crew of this very special film,” he wrote.
Ghaywan marked the moment by reposting Johar’s messages on social media.
Produced by Johar and Adar Poonawalla, Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles. The film is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s The New York Times article Taking Amrit Home (also titled A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway).
Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese is attached as an executive producer. The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and a Dalit, who aspire to secure police jobs that promise dignity long denied to them because of their surnames.
The Academy on Tuesday also announced shortlists in 11 other categories, including the newly introduced Casting Oscar.
Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and will be broadcast live on ABC and in over 200 territories worldwide.
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