"Homebound emerges victorious, outshining 23 other films, to secure India's submission for the 2026 Oscars. The list of contenders also featured Pushpa 2, Kesari 2, and The Bengal Files."
In a significant turn of events, Neeraj Ghaywan's highly anticipated film, Homebound, has been chosen as India's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The movie, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, is set to hit cinemas worldwide on September 26.
Homebound has already made a mark on the international film festival circuit, premiering at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May and also being screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film was produced by Martin Scorsese and is executively produced by the legendary director himself.
The film was inspired by journalist Basharat Peer's The New York Times article, Taking Amrit Home. However, the exact plot or theme of Homebound remains a mystery, adding to the intrigue surrounding the much-anticipated release.
Interestingly, Homebound will be Ghaywan's return to film direction after a decade since his debut directorial Masaan. The film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra under Dharma Productions.
In the race for India's Oscars entry, Homebound beat out 23 other films, including Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, R Madhavan-starrer Kesari Chapter 2, the 2024 highest-grossing Indian film Pushpa 2, and Vivek Agnihotri's controversial movie The Bengal Files. The exact nature of the controversy surrounding The Bengal Files is not specified in this article.
The 20 other films in the shortlist for India's Oscars entry are I Want to Talk, Tanvi The Great, Superboys of Malegaon, Sthal, Kannappa, Meta The Dazzling Girl, Sabar Bonda, Dashavatar, Vanvaas, Paani, Gandhi Tatha Chettu, Aata Thambaycha Naay, Kuberaa, Boong, Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, Humans in the Loop, Jugnuma, Phule, Veera Chandrahasa, and Pyre.
As the release date approaches, fans of Indian cinema eagerly await the unveiling of the story behind Homebound, the film that has captured the attention of both domestic and international audiences and secured a place in India's Oscars race for the 2026 Academy Awards.
