Oscars: Did you know Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and Mother India are the only Indian films ever nominated for an Oscar, while Homebound missed the 2026 list?

Oscars: Did you know Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and Mother India are the only Indian films ever nominated for an Oscar, while Homebound missed the 2026 list?

• India has received three Oscar nominations for Best International Feature Film.
• India's nominees: Mother India, Salaam Bombay, Lagaan.
• India's 2026 submission "Homebound" missed final Oscar nomination

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India’s journey at the Academy Awards has been marked by a small number of landmark moments rather than frequent appearances. In the Best International Feature Film category, earlier known as Best Foreign Language Film, India has received nominations only three times across decades of Oscar history.

Mother India

Released in 1957 and directed by Mehboob Khan, Mother India became India’s first film to earn an Academy Award nomination. It was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 30th Academy Awards. The film, starring Nargis in an iconic role, portrayed the resilience of a rural Indian woman and was widely noted for its emotional depth and scale. Mother India went on to become a cultural milestone and remains one of India’s most internationally recognised films.

Salaam Bombay!

More than three decades later, India returned to the Oscar nominations with Salaam Bombay!. Directed by Mira Nair, the 1988 film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 61st Academy Awards. The film focused on the lives of street children in Mumbai and received significant international attention for its realistic portrayal and use of non-professional actors. Its nomination marked India’s second appearance in the category.

Lagaan

India’s third and most recent nomination came with Lagaan in 2002. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and starring Aamir Khan, the film was nominated at the 74th Academy Awards. Set during the British colonial era, Lagaan combined sport, drama, and period storytelling, and gained global recognition for its narrative and music. Since Lagaan, no Indian film has been nominated in the International Feature Film category.

Homebound and Oscars 2026

In the 2026 awards cycle, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound was selected as India’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards. The film advanced to the shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category. However, when the final nominations were announced, Homebound did not secure a nomination, resulting in India not being represented in the final Oscar nominations for 2026.

Together, Mother India, Salaam Bombay!, and Lagaan remain the only Indian films to have received nominations in the International Feature Film category, with Homebound being the latest official entry that did not make it to the final list.