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Karan Johar pens a note as Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa starrer Homebound enters Oscars 2026 shortlist
Karan Johar gets emotional as Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa, advances to the Oscars 2026 International Feature Film shortlist.
Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and backed by Karan Johar, has taken a major step toward the Oscars 2026. The film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlists across 12 categories on Tuesday, December 16, with Homebound emerging as one of the 15 films still in the race.
The 15 shortlisted international films will now be narrowed down to five final nominees. The official nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026, with Conan O’Brien returning as host.
Homebound among 15 films shortlisted for Oscars 2026
Alongside Homebound, the shortlist includes:
Argentina’s Belén
Brazil’s The Secret Agent
France’s It Was Just an Accident
Germany’s Sound of Falling
Iraq’s The President’s Cake
Japan’s Kokuho
Jordan’s All That’s Left of You
Norway’s Sentimental Value
Palestine’s Palestine 36
South Korea’s No Other Choice
Spain’s Sirât, Switzerland’s Late Shift
Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl
Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab
The news was shared by Dharma Movies on social media. Posting the film’s poster, the production house wrote, “Homebound has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. We’re deeply grateful for the extraordinary love and support we’ve received from around the world.”
Producer Karan Johar also took to Instagram to reflect on the film’s journey. “I am not sure I can articulate how proud, elated and over the moon I am with the journey of #HOMEBOUND… all of us @dharmamovies are privileged to have this proud and important film in our filmography,” he wrote.
Thanking director Neeraj Ghaywan, Johar added, “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!” He ended the post by giving a shoutout to the cast and crew and noted, “Upwards and onwards…….. #HOMEBOUND streaming now on @netflix_in.”
Here’s what Homebound is about
Homebound follows childhood friends Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), whose shared dream of becoming police officers shapes their lives and choices. Janhvi Kapoor plays a key role that adds emotional depth to the story, which explores friendship, responsibility and the pressures faced by young people in India.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. It debuted on Netflix on November 21 and has continued to receive recognition at global film festivals and award platforms.
