Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa, has achieved a major global milestone after being shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The announcement places the film among a select group of international titles competing for a final nomination at the world’s most prestigious film awards. Following the news, producer Karan Johar shared an emotional note reflecting on the film’s journey and its significance for his production house, Dharma Movies.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently released the official shortlists across 12 Oscar categories, and Homebound emerged as one of the chosen entries in the international feature section, marking a proud moment for Indian cinema.
ALSO READ | New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s missed acting opportunities revealed by Mira Nair
Karan Johar’s emotional response
Reacting to the achievement, Karan Johar took to social media to express his pride and gratitude. He began his post by writing, “I am not sure I can articulate how proud, elated and over the moon I am with the journey of #HOMEBOUND... all of us @dharmamovies are privileged to have this proud and important film in our filmography ... (sic).”
Thanking director Neeraj Ghaywan, Johar added, “Thank you @neeraj.ghaywan for making so many dreams of ours come true... from Cannes to being on the Oscar shortlist, this has been such an overwhelming journey! Love to the entire cast and crew and teams of this special special film!!!!!!!!! Upwards and onwards........ #HOMEBOUND streaming now on @netflix_in.”
The note highlighted the film’s journey from international film festivals to global recognition and underlined the collaborative effort behind its success.
ALSO READ | ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ trailer leaked: What can we know from it
About the Oscars shortlist
The Oscars shortlist, announced by the Academy, features films across categories including Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature and Short Film, International Feature Film, Live Action Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Sound and Visual Effects.
In the Best International Feature Film category, Homebound stands alongside titles from around the world, including Argentina’s Belen, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Germany’s Sound of Falling, Iraq’s The President’s Cake, Japan’s Kokuho, Jordan’s All That’s Left of You, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Palestine’s Palestine 36, South Korea’s No Other Choice, Spain’s Sirat, Switzerland’s Late Shift, Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl and Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab.
The final Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026, while the 98th Academy Awards ceremony is set to take place on March 15, 2026.
