Oscars 2026: Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound Shortlisted for Best International Feature Film

Neeraj Ghaywan's film, Homebound, has progressed to the next voting round in the Oscars 2026 at the Best International Feature Film category, which indicates that Indian cinema has made an enormous leap forward in the world of films.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in its official notification stated that Homebound is included in the list of 15 films selected from 86 countries that are eligible for the 98th Academy Awards. The next milestone for the film in the race is the final nomination for the Best International Feature Film category.

Homebound featuring Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa in leading roles claims its position amongst the movies nominated from the countries of Argentina, Brazil, France, and Germany.This selection remarkably powers India’s foothold in the international awards circuit just before the final Oscar nominations.

Dharma Productions was quick to take to social media and announce the news as a response to the news, and also thanked the film for the global support it has received. The production house said, "Homebound has been nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. We are so grateful for the love and recognition from people all over the world."

AMPAS stated that the shortlist was determined after a first voting round. Voting for the final nominees will be done after the Academy members of all branches watch all 15 shortlisted films, only those who participate in the voting will be allowed to vote.

Neeraj Ghaywan's direction has resulted in an impressive movie named 'Homebound' which narrates the childhood stories of two friends Shoaib and Chandan whose dreams of becoming police officers guide them throughout their lives and affect their choices. The character played by Janhvi Kapoor is significant in the film and contributes to the emotional aspect of the narrative.

The picture has already received a lot of international attention. It was part of the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 and also was later shown at the Toronto International Film Festival where it was awarded the title of Second Runner-Up for the International Audience Choice Award.

The movie 'Homebound' is a result of collaboration between Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, and Apoorva Mehta as the producers, while Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier are the co-producers. The project also features Martin Scorsese and Pravin Khairnar as executive producers.