Neeraj Ghaywan’s friendship saga Homebound is India’s Oscar entry
Ishaan Khatter, Jahnvi Kapoor, Vishal Jethwa, play the lead roles in the Hindi film, which is based on a 2020 article published in the New York Times by Basharat Peer, which spoke of the friendship between two men, both migrant labourers, who were forced to walk hundreds of kilometres to their home due to the Covid-induced lockdown
Less than a week ago, Neeraj Ghaywan’s film, Homebound, received a standing ovation lasting several minutes from a nearly 2,000-strong audience at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The film, produced by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla’s Dharma Productions, was the second runner up in the International People’s Choice Award category.
On Friday, the selection committee of the Film Federation of India offered its own ringing endorsement of Homebound by announcing that it will be India’s official entry at the 98th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film category.
Ishaan Khatter, Jahnvi Kapoor, Vishal Jethwa, play the lead roles in the Hindi film, which is based on a 2020 article published in the New York Times by Basharat Peer, which spoke of the friendship between two men, both migrant labourers, who were forced to walk hundreds of kilometres to their home due to the Covid-induced lockdown.
“OMG!! This is real! Homebound is India’s official entry to compete for the Best International Feature at the 98th Academy awards!!” Ghaywan posted on X.
Johar, one of the producers of the film, thanked FFI.
“One of the “pinch me” moments that I will NEVER forget!!!! Extremely honoured, humbled and ecstatic that our film #Homebound is selected as India’s official entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards! Our deepest gratitude to the @filmfederationofindia to believe in the story, in us and what we can bring to the world stage for Indian cinema. Heartiest congratulations to the entire team,” he posted on Instagram.
N. Chandra, the chairperson of the selection committee, said that Homebound was selected from 24 films of different languages.The shortlist included Sabar Bonda, a Marathi film that gained critical acclaim for its depiction of a relationship between two men in rural Maharashtra, and The Bengal Files, which is based on riots that occurred in Calcutta before India’s independence.
“It was a very difficult choice. These were films that touched the lives of people.. We were not judges but coaches. We were searching for players who have made their mark,” he said in Kolkata. “’Homebound’ was chosen unanimously by the jury to represent the country,” he added.
The film, which boasts of Hollywood director Martin Scorcese as its executive producer, will release in theatres on September 26. It premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, in May. The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026.
India has never won a prize in the category and only thrice has an Indian movie made it to the nomination stage -- Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988) and Lagaan (2001). To be sure, Indian individuals and movies have won accolades at the Academy Awards several times, the last being RRR and The Elephant Whisperers in 2023.
(With inputs from agencies)
