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“Homebound”: India’s Official Entry for the 2026 Oscars Reflects a Bold Storytelling Return
In a proud moment for Indian cinema, Homebound, the much-anticipated film directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, has been selected as India’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026). The announcement was made by the Film Federation of India after a rigorous selection process.
Background & Premise
Homebound marks Neeraj Ghaywan’s return to feature filmmaking after nearly a decade since his debut with Masaan. The film is based on a 2020 New York Times essay by journalist Basharat Peer, titled “A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway.”
The storyline follows two childhood friends from a rural North Indian village—Mohammad Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan Kumar (Vishal Jethwa). They aspire to get jobs in the police force, believing that uniforms and official positions will finally afford them the dignity and respect that have long been denied due to their social identities. The film explores caste-based discrimination and religious bias through their journey, with Janhvi Kapoor playing a close friend whose life and dreams intersect with theirs.
Festival Journey & International Reception
Before its domestic release, Homebound has already made an impression on the global festival circuit. It premiered in May 2025 at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it received a standing ovation.
Further acclaim followed at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025, where Homebound earned the position of second runner-up for the International People’s Choice Award. These honours signal confidence from international critics and festival-goers in the film’s narrative, direction, and performances.
Selection & the Process
The entry was selected through a national process, overseen by a panel chaired by N. Chandra. A total of 24 films from various Indian languages were evaluated before the committee unanimously chose Homebound as the submission.
N. Chandra described the process as difficult, given the quality and variety of the competing films—some of which had strong local and critical acclaim. Nonetheless, Homebound emerged as the choice meant to represent India’s rich and evolving cinematic voice on the global stage.
The Team Behind Homebound
The film is produced by a high-profile team including Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, with additional production/support from Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra. Homebound also counts Martin Scorsese as an executive producer, who reportedly provided mentorship during screenplay development and editing phases.
The cast features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in pivotal roles. These actors, under Ghaywan’s direction, are expected to carry the emotional demands of the story, which delves deeply into themes of identity, societal prejudice, aspiration, and friendship.
What’s Next: Release & Oscar Hopes
Homebound is scheduled for theatrical release in India on 26 September 2025—coinciding with the moment it begins its push toward Oscar consideration.
After being submitted, the film joins over a hundred entries from countries around the world vying for nominations in the Best International Feature category. If it makes it to the shortlist and ultimately receives a nomination, it would mark yet another achievement for India, which has had several nominations in the past (like Mother India, Salaam Bombay!, and Lagaan) but has not yet won in that category.
Challenges & Expectations
While Homebound has significant momentum, the journey to an Oscar is rarely easy. Key challenges include:
- Competition: The global slate of films will include strong entries from many nations, some with established track records in the Oscars. Standing out will require exceptional storytelling, performances, and perhaps also savvy campaigning.
- Translation of Social Issues: The film deals with caste, religion, identity—subjects deeply rooted in Indian socio-cultural context. Making sure these themes resonate universally without getting lost in cultural particularities will be important.
- Distribution & Visibility: Beyond festivals, reach sets expectations—how well Homebound is promoted internationally, screened for Academy voters, and positioned in terms of critical reviews will matter.
- Historical Precedence: Indian entries in this category have come agonizingly close before, but the Oscars have not yet awarded the Best International Feature to an Indian film. That adds both motivation and weight to the stakes.
Despite these, the groundwork looks promising. The festival reactions, the backing of notable names, the strength of the narrative and performances, all indicate that Homebound is more than just another hopeful—it might be one of India’s strongest contenders in recent years.
Conclusion
With Homebound, Indian cinema stakes a claim on the global stage through a story that is intimate yet universal—one rooted in specific socio-cultural struggles but pointing toward shared aspirations of dignity, equality, and belonging. Its selection as India’s Oscar submission is recognition of not just the film’s artistic merit, but also of cinema’s power to reflect, question, and inspire.
As Homebound prepares to release in India this September and push for Oscar recognition in 2026, audiences—both at home and abroad—will watch closely. For the film and its makers, this moment is a milestone. For Indian cinema, it represents hope that the stories being told today can travel far and make a lasting impact.Bottom of Form
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