Mumbai: Neeraj Ghaywan-helmed ‘Homebound’ has been selected as India’s official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards.
The Hindi movie, featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, will vie for glory in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars to be held on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Confirming the development, chairperson of the selection committee N Chandra said on Friday that a total of 24 films from different languages were considered to represent India at next year’s Oscars by a 12-member panel which included producers, directors, writers, editors and journalists.
“It was a very difficult choice. These were films that touched the lives of people,” he said.
“We were not judges but coaches. We were searching for players who have made their mark,” Chandra added.
Appreciated at Cannes, Toronto film festivals
‘Homebound’ has already caught global attention, having received standing ovation when it was screened at the 78th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The film also impressed one an all at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), bagging the second runner-up spot in the International People’s Choice Award.
‘Homebound’ revolves around the story of two childhood friends, from a small north Indian village, who seek a police job. As they inch closer to fulfilling their dream, their close bond is threatened due to mounting desperation.
Besides Ishaan, Vishal and Janhvi, the film also stars Harshika Parmar, Shalini Vatsa, Chandan K Anand, Vijay Vikram Singh, Yogendra Vikram Singh, Pankaj Dubey, Shreedhar Dubey and Tushar Phulke in supporting roles.
‘Homebound’, produced by Karan Johar under the banner of Dharma Productions, will be released in theatres in India on September 26.