Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' out of the Oscar race, Karan Johar and Vishal Jethwa react

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s acclaimed drama “Homebound” is out of Oscars 2026, failing to get a nomination in the best international feature film category.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday. India’s entry was in the Academy’s shortlist of 15 in the category but couldn’t make it to the final five.

Produced by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, the Hindi language film has enjoyed a strong festival run, beginning with its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year.

Inspired by an article headlined “Taking Amrit Home” by journalist Basharat Peer in The New York Times, the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.

More from Entertainment

Rift in Beckham family: Victoria accused of ‘grinding' and 'nuzzling’ son Brooklyn during his wedding dance Rock band Linkin Park on their India debut: 'It's been on the table for 20 years and...'

It chronicles the childhood friendship between a Muslim and a Dalit, who aspire to join the police force in search of dignity and social acceptance long denied to them because of their surnames. Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese is attached to the project as an executive producer.

Karan Johar reacts

Karan Johar, who produced the film, shared a collage from the movie on his Instagram Stories and wrote , “Proud!!!! Love you @neeraj.ghaywan for allowing us to bask in your light!” Ghaywan shared it on his Stories and wrote, “Thank you, @karanjohar! You have been an absolute rock. Couldn’t have come this far without you. Love you!” The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

What Vishal Jethwa said

“While we didn’t make the final nominations, being shortlisted among the final 15 films is an honour in itself. Seeing Homebound travel this far and represent India globally has been incredibly special. I will forever be grateful to have been part of this film,” Vishal told Hindustan Times.

“Even though we say that we should not expect anything, but ab jab itna aage aa gaye the to thoda expectations to thi. No matter how many people saw the film, they liked it and called it a strong story and that in itself feels like an achievement,” the actor added.

The final nominees in the category are Brazil’s “The Secret Agent”, French drama “It Was Just an Accident”, Norway’s “Sentimental Value”, Spain’s “Sirat” and Tunisian feature “The Voice of Hind Rajab”.

Only three Indian films have made it to the last round — Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India” (1957), Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay!” (1988) and Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Lagaan” (2001). While all three earned nominations, none went on to win the Oscar.

With added inputs from agencies