Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound’ selected as India’s official entry for Oscars 2026

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound has been chosen as India’s official entry to the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Friday.

Producer Karan Johar shared his excitement on Instagram, calling it a milestone moment.

"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 wrote.

Director Neeraj Ghaywan echoed the sentiment, calling the selection “deeply humbling.”

"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," Ghaywan said in a statement.

The film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, has already made waves internationally. It earned a nine-minute standing ovation at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and was the second runner-up for the International People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Ghaywan describes Homebound as “a deeply personal story about friendship, dignity, and survival.”

"It's about people who are often unseen, and the quiet strength they carry in a world that rarely pauses for them," he added, expressing hope that the film “helps us look closer—with empathy—and see what we've been conditioned to ignore."

Executive produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, Homebound tells the story of two childhood friends from a small North Indian village chasing a coveted police job that promises dignity, even as desperation threatens to pull them apart.

The film is slated for its theatrical release in India on September 26.