India's Homebound fails to get Oscar nomination in Best International Feature category

Neeraj Ghaywan's film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. It is only the fourth Indian film to get a nomination in the category.

Updated on: Jan 22, 2026, 19:25:13 IST

By Santanu Das

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All eyes were on India's Homebound as the Oscar nominations were announced for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday morning. Unfortunately, the Neeraj Ghaywan film failed to land a spot in the list of 5 films for the Best International Feature category.

Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa in a still from Homebound.

Only three Indian films have ever received a nomination for this category (which was formerly Best Foreign Language Film): Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Lagaan (2001). (Also read: Oscars 2026 full list of nominations: One Battle After Another and Sinners dominate)

The films which are nominated in this category include:

Brazil, "The Secret Agent"

France, "It Was Just an Accident"

Norway, "Sentimental Value"

Spain, "Sirât"

Tunisia, "The Voice of Hind Rajab"

About Homebound

Homebound follows childhood friends Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), whose shared dream of joining the police force shapes their lives, with Janhvi Kapoor adding emotional depth to a story grounded in friendship, duty, and the pressures facing young India.

The film made a grand entry on Netflix on November 21. Homebound has been receiving major accolades across film festivals and award shows. India's contender for Oscars 2026, Homebound, is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Mishra and co-produced by Marijke deSouza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier, along with Martin Scorsese and Pravin Khairnar acting as the Executive Producers. The film was included in the shortlist of 15 films.

An excerpt from the HT review of the film read, “Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter bring vulnerability to their roles, their chemistry as childhood friends fully convincing. Ishaan’s emotional breakdown hits hard in one scene, while Vishal’s turn in the climax lingers long after. Janhvi Kapoor delivers an earnest performance, while Shalini Vatsa, as Chandan’s mother, quietly grounds the film with grace.”

The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 16.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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