Homebound India's Official Entry For Oscars 2026, Neeraj Ghaywan Expresses Pride

Bengaluru: India has officially chosen Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars 2026. Produced by Dharma Productions, the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. The announcement comes amid growing international attention for Indian cinema, with films increasingly blending local storytelling with universal themes to resonate with global audiences. The film premiered in Cannes 2025 and has Martin Scorsese as its Executive Producer. Filmmaker Karan Johar, producer of the film, expressed his pride, "We are deeply honoured and humbled that Homebound has been selected as India's official entry to the Academy Awards. Neeraj Ghaywan's labour of love is sure to find a home in a million hearts across the world."

Director Neeraj Ghaywan said,“I'm deeply honoured that Homebound has been chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars. Rooted in the love for our land and our people, it carries the essence of the home we all share. To take our stories to the world and represent India at one of the biggest global stages for cinema is both humbling and a matter of pride, and for this I'm extremely grateful.” Last year, India's official submission was Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies, produced by Aamir Khan. However, it did not make the final shortlist. With Homebound, the country hopes to continue its streak of representing Indian stories on the global stage.

What is Homebound About? 

Homebound tells the story of two childhood friends from a small North Indian village who aspire to join the police force, believing that the position will earn them long-awaited respect and stability. As they work towards clearing the national police examination, the duo faces mounting pressures, societal expectations, and personal struggles, which begin to test the strength of their friendship and force them to confront the realities of their ambitions. It is based on a New York Times article by Basharat Peer from 2020. The film releases in India on September 26. The film became the second runner-up for the International People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.

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