Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound has been selected for the shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards. This prestigious recognition places India’s official Oscar entry among 15 films chosen from 86 countries. Historically, only three Indian films, Mother India (1958), Salaam Bombay! (1989), and Lagaan (2001), have been nominated in this category. Therefore, making the shortlist is a significant step toward potentially becoming the fourth Indian film to receive a nomination.

The film debuted in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes earlier this year and explores the intertwined lives of two childhood friends, one Muslim and one Dalit. Their journey, driven by a shared dream of joining the police force, becomes a poignant exploration of dignity amid societal pressures of caste and identity. The cast includes Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. Homebound draws inspiration from Basharat Peer’s New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home,” which shed light on a real incident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shortlist is a pivotal step towards securing an Oscar nomination, which will be announced on January 22, 2026. All Academy members who choose to vote must watch the final nominees, making the shortlist a crucial phase in the award race.

ForbesWe Called Scorsese “Bade Pappa”: Neeraj Ghaywan On Homebound | Beyond BollywoodBy Hannah Abraham

The film has gained additional traction with the involvement of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese as executive producer. In a conversation with Hannah Abraham, Ghaywan affectionately mentioned that the team referred to Scorsese as “Bade Pappa” (Big Dad) during production. Homebound is produced under the banners of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Adar Poonawalla.

Martin Scorsese As Executive Producer

Homebound gained additional momentum with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese joining as executive producer—a detail Ghaywan shared with affection in an earlier interview with Hannah Abraham, revealing that the cast and crew referred to Scorsese as “Bade Pappa” (Big Dad) during production. The film is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Adar Poonawalla.

Ghaywan, whose debut feature Masaan won the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes 2015, has built a reputation for socially engaged cinema that examines caste, class, and religious identity in contemporary India. Homebound continues this trajectory, exploring the pandemic’s devastating impact on migrant workers while centering the friendship between characters navigating structural inequalities.

Competition From Palestine, South Korea, And Brazil

The shortlist includes strong contenders from across the globe. Palestine’s entry Palestine 36—which was ironically blocked from screening at India’s International Film Festival of Kerala alongside other Palestinian films—appears here, as does South Korea’s No Other Choice, starring Lee Byung-hun, which also received nominations at the Golden Globes.

Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Norway’s Sentimental Value, and films from Argentina, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Tunisia round out the list. Five of the 15 entries are distributed by Neon, which has historically performed well in this category.

Director and cast members expressed excitement about the recognition. Karan Johar wrote on social media: “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!” Ishaan Khatter posted: “Oscar ab dur nahi” (Oscar isn’t far now).

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Conan O’Brien returning as host.