Homebound out of Oscars 2026 race as Academy reveals International Feature Nominations

Homebound out of Oscars 2026 race as Academy reveals International Feature Nominations

• Homebound missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film
• The film made the 15-title shortlist but was not among the final five nominees
• Homebound's shortlist run boosts global visibility for Indian social dramas.

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Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, India’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards, is out of the Oscars 2026 race after missing a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category.

The film had made it to the Academy’s 15-title shortlist, but the final five announced on January 22 did not include the Indian entry.

This year’s International Feature Film nominees are The Secret Agent (Brazil), It Was Just an Accident (France), Sentimental Value (Norway), Sirat (Spain) and The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia). (Tom's Guide) For Homebound, the omission is a familiar heartbreak: being shortlisted signals serious global attention, yet the last step depends on a mix of visibility, campaigning and the Academy’s shifting tastes.

Starring Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, with Janhvi Kapoor in a key role, Homebound follows two childhood friends from northern India chasing police jobs as a path to dignity, only to find their bond squeezed by desperation and structural prejudice. (Reuters) The story draws inspiration from journalist Basharat Peer’s New York Times piece Taking Amrit Home, rooted in the migrant crisis during India’s COVID-19 lockdown.

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The film’s awards run had been backed hard by Dharma Productions and producer Karan Johar, who recently spoke about how punishing an Oscar campaign can be, likening it to a “bottomless pit” while stressing that the team was doing it as a passion project.

Homebound was earlier premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, where it received a lengthy standing ovation.

Even without a nomination, Homebound’s shortlist run matters. It keeps Ghaywan’s name in the global conversation, adds to the film’s long-tail value on international platforms, and strengthens the case for more Indian, socially grounded dramas to mount serious awards campaigns in future seasons.

The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15, and Conan O’Brien will be seen as the host.