The critically acclaimed film, Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, has marked a significant milestone as it gets officially included in the Oscars 2026 list. Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and released in theaters on September 26, touched the hearts of film-loving people across India for being socially relevant and loaded with powerful performances. Being included in the Oscars list adds to this impact.
Although Homebound is mostly about the deep affection between two friends, actor Ishaan Khatter has recently disclosed that his original plot involved a romantic thread that eventually got chopped off. In an interview for The Hollywood Reporter India, with Variety’s Anupama Chopra, the actor described the background for the editing. “I lost the love story, but I retained the spirit of the film, which is the story between the friends,” he said.
Ishaan further added that the romantic section had a lot of emotional significance for the director Neeraj Ghaywan, which was also very aptly written. “We shot that, but the credit goes to Reem Shaikh, who acted in that part. She was literally amazing. Sometimes these stories don’t reach the editing room, but that did not happen with them, but that did help them in keeping their emotional part intact because their emotional part is the development of their relationship with each other,” he said.
Homebound showcases the story of Chandan, a Dalit, portrayed by Vishal Jethwa, and another character named Shoaib, a Muslim, portrayed by Ishaan Khatter. The story takes place in a small town in North India. Their common dream of becoming a cop has been a way out for Chandan and Shoaib, as it will protect them from the constant harassment and discrimination taking place around them. But their plans get jeopardized when the result dates get postponed.
Apart from the personal story, Homebound also explores the socio-political frameworks that exist in rural India. The emotional drama was produced by the esteemed Dharma Productions, along with Karan Johar, Somen Mishra, Apoorva Mehta, and Adar Poonawalla. The Homebound production also has an extensive list of executive producers, which includes Melita Toscan du Plantier, Marijke de Souza, and cinematic legend Martin Scorsese.
Internationally, the Homebound had its premiere at the Cannes 2025 Film Festival and thus the debut at the Cannes Film Festival for the director Neeraj Ghaywan, nearly a decade since his directing debut with the critically acclaimed Masaan. Besides being the country’s Oscar entry, Homebound also had its showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
