It’s ironic that after hopes were pinned after being shortlisted for nominations, sadly
it’s out of the race and no longer a contender for the Oscars at the 98th Academy Awards
in the Best International Feature Film category. The film, which had emerged as one of India’s strongest contenders in recent years, did not make it to the final cut when the final nominations were announced on January 22.
This comes as utter disappointment for the makers mes as a disappointment, particularly given the film’s critical acclaim. Homebound
was a nominee in
Un Certain Regard Award category at Cannes Film Festival, 2025, and finished second runner-up at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
At Oscars 2026, the Neeraj Ghaywan film was among the 15 films shortlisted from a pool of 89 official entries submitted by countries worldwide, a significant achievement, but one that ultimately did not translate into a nomination.
The Oscars shortlist represents, which Homebound
made, the penultimate stage in the awards race. All shortlisted films are viewed and voted on by Academy members, making the cut a marker of serious international recognition.
Homebound stood alongside acclaimed global titles such as Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident (France) and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice (South Korea), underscoring the competitiveness of the category.
The films that made it to the final cut for International Feature Film are The Secret Agent, It Was Just An Accident, Sentimental Value, Sirat, and The Voice Of Hind Rajab.
India’s history in the Best International Feature Film category has not been a joyous one. In the Academy Awards’ 98-year history, only four Indian films have reached the shortlist, and just three – Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2002) – have gone on to secure final nominations. More recently, Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show made the shortlist in 2021 but, like Homebound, failed to progress further.
India made significant inroads with RRR’s Naatu Naatu winning Best Original Song, but an Oscar win in a film category remains elusive.
Homebound featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, is intensely rooted in the Indian socio-political landscape. The Neeraj Ghaywan directorial
co-produced by Karan Johar, confronts caste and religion-based discrimination through the story of two best friends from the same village striving to carve out identities in an unequal system. Themes of systemic injustice, resilience, and hope run through the narrative, anchored by understated performances and Ghaywan’s restrained storytelling.
For Homebound, the Oscars ‘miss out” may sting, but its shortlist presence, Cannes reception, and critical appreciation mark it as a film that travelled far, even if not far enough at the Oscars.
News Edit KV Raman
