Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' named India's official entry for Oscars

Kolkata, Sep 19 (PTI) Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's Hindi film "Homebound" was chosen as India's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category on Friday.

The movie, which was selected in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival and was recently at the Toronto International Film Festival, was chosen to represent India at the Oscars by the chairperson of the selection committee N Chandra.

Chandra said a total of 24 films from different languages were in contention for representing the country at the Oscars.

"It was a very difficult choice. These were films that touched the lives of people.. We were not judges but coaches. We were searching for players who have made their mark," he said.

"'Homebound' was chosen unanimously by the jury to represent the country," he added.

Ghaywan shared the news on Instagram and reacted, "OMG!!! This is Real!!" Asked whether controversial films like "The Bengal Files" did not make the cut, Chandra said every film in the list was a strong contender.

"But we had to select one film from India which will represent the country at the Oscars and 'Homebound' made the cut." Other than "The Bengal Files", "Pushpa 2", "The Pyre", "Kesari", "Superboys of Malegaon", "Veera Chandrahasa" were among the films competing to be selected by the 14-member selection committee made of producers, directors, writers, editors and journalists.

"Homebound", produced by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.

The film is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer's The New York Times article "Taking Amrit Home", also titled (A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway).

The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their surnames.

When the film premiered in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes --which is where Ghaywan's much-acclaimed debut movie "Maasan" also screened -- "Homebound" received a nine-minute-long standing ovation.

The film has received warm reviews during its international festival run and has legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese as an executive producer.

“I have seen Neeraj’s first film Masaan in 2015 and I loved it, so when Mélita Toscan du Plantier (producer) sent me his second film, I was curious. I loved the story, the culture and was willing to help. Neeraj has made a beautifully crafted film that’s a significant contribution to Indian cinema," Scorsese said in a statement that was shared by Johar on Instagram.

Ghaywan later revealed that Scorsese mentored the team through the screenplay and multiple rounds of editing.

"He listened with care, understood the cultural context, and offered thoughtful, incisive notes each time. His kindness and commitment are extraordinary, and to have him nurture our film has been both a rare privilege and a profoundly humbling experience,” Ghaywan said in April.

"Homebound", which is set to release in theatres on September 26, also won major awards at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), including the best film and best director for Ghaywan. At Toronto, the film was the second runner-up in the International People’s Choice Award category.

Indian films and talents have registered individual wins in Best Song, Music, Sound and Costume categories for films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "RRR", but no film has managed to win in the Best International Feature film segment, which was earlier known as the Best Foreign Film category. Only three Indian films have received nominations in the category and they are Mehmood Khan's "Mother India", Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" and Ashutosh Gowarikar's "Lagaan". Deepa Mehta's "Water", starring John Abraham and Lisa Ray, also received a nomination but it was submitted from Canada.

The 98th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026. PTI SUS SOM BK BK BK