Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and selected as India’s official submission, has failed to secure a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday.
The final list of five nominees does not include the Indian entry, ending the country’s campaign for the Oscars 2026 race at the nomination stage.
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Films nominated in Best International Feature Film category
The five films that made it to the final nominations are:
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
It Was Just an Accident (France)
Sentimental Value (Norway)
Sirat (Spain)
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
Homebound had earlier featured in the Academy’s shortlist but did not progress to the final round of nominations.
About India’s official entry
Released in Indian theatres on September 26, 2025, Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The film is set largely in a confined space and centres on strained familial relationships during a crisis situation, exploring themes of emotional trauma, unresolved conflict and personal reckoning.
The film was backed by Dharma Productions, led by filmmaker Karan Johar.
Karan Johar on the Oscar campaign
Speaking to PeepingMoon and Telly MEK earlier, Johar had acknowledged the challenges involved in mounting an Oscar campaign. He said the process requires significant financial investment, with no certainty of results.
“Doing an Oscar campaign will cost money, and sometimes it is a bottomless pit. You don’t know whether you will even make it to the shortlist of 15 and then five,” Johar said.
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He added that the decision to pursue the campaign was supported by his business partner Adar Poonawalla, who viewed the effort as a creative opportunity rather than a commercial exercise.
“This was never about profit and loss. Homebound was always a passion project. We will do other films for survival, but this was about credibility,” Johar said.
India has not won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film, despite multiple submissions over the decades.
