In a milestone for Indian cinema, the Neeraj Ghaywan helmed Homebound is now an officially shortlisted Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. The news, which came out in a statement on December 16th, 2025 leaves the film in the list of competing films worldwide top 15, closer for its final Oscar nomination.
Featuring performances from Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, the film has already been praised as a critical favourite — telling an emotive story that strikes a powerful chord with audiences on both sides of India’s borders.
Resilience and the Tale of ‘The Great Migration’
“Homebound” is much more than your run-of-the-mill pandemic drama; it’s a visceral exploration of friendship, class and survival. Loosely based on journalist Basharat Peer’s viral 2020 New York Times essay “Taking Amrit Home,” the story centers on two childhood friends, Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa).
The narrative follows their common dream: obtaining a government job as a police officer—a route the friends feel will finally bestow upon them the dignity that society has denied them for so long. But as the COVID-19 lockdown arrives, their dreams come face-to-face with a harsh reality. Compelled to join the multitudes of laborers escaping to find work, a 100-mile quest from the industrial belts of Gujarat back into their village in Uttar Pradesh becomes an emotional tug-of-war and test of human will.
The Power of Indigenous Storytelling
The global impact of “Homebound” is a firm testament to the power of real, barebones Indian storytelling or what we call “ground-up” stories. Backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, with Martin Scorsese listing as an Executive Producer, the scrumptious looking film brings together commercial relish and real life squalor.
Masaan’s famed director Neeraj Ghaywan imparts his signature mellow intensity to the movie. In spotlighting the “invisible” people of the pandemic, Ghaywan has made a mirror in which the world can recognize itself at this nexus of caste, religion and economic injustice.
Key moments from the film’s journey so far:
- Pathe, Cannes 2025: Standing ovation in UCR.
- TIFF Summary: Received second runner-up award for International Audience Choice Award.
- Record-breaking success: This “slice of reality” is currently trending globally on Netflix, which means we have done India proud in sharing its story with a global audience.
- From the heart Reactions : ‘Elated and Over the Moon’
After the shortlist went out, the creative team behind the film shared a thank you message via social media. Producer Karan Johar put out an emotional note which read, “We can’t wait for the world to see what we have to offer and that they all get papped soon! On cloud nine now and I’m so proud and honoured to have a film in my line up that aspires to make the audience smile,tear up and feel the collective yearnings of our human heart..our PANGA.”
Ishaan Khatter – whose performance as Shoaib is being considered a career-best for him – shared his excitement with fans, while Vishal Jethwa termed it “surreal and incredibly humbling”. The chemistry between the two leads is considered the “soul” of the movie and depicts an innocent side to damaged youths inside a system not designed for them.
What’s Next for Homebound?
We are in the home stretch of the journey to the 98th Academy Awards. Five of those 15 films — which include indomitable competition from Argentina, France and Japan — will ultimately earn the final nomination on Jan. 22, 2018.
The 2026 official Oscar ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, is set to be held on March 15. For India, “Homebound” is more than a victory trophy; it’s their stories that lie buried in the silence of the backwaters of India voices being heard all over the world.
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