The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026) were announced on Thursday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. While Indian audiences were closely watching the fate of Homebound, the film failed to secure a spot in the final Top 5 nominations in the Best International Feature Film category.
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound was India’s official entry for the Oscars this year. The film had earlier made it to the Top 15 shortlist, but could not advance further to the final nomination stage. Had it been nominated, Homebound would have become the first Indian film since Aamir Khan’s Lagaan (2002) to receive a nomination in this category.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on March 15, 2026.
Films Nominated in Best International Feature Film Category
The five films that secured nominations from the global shortlist are:
- The Secret Agent (Brazil)
- It Was Just an Accident (France)
- Sentimental Value (Norway)
- Sirat (Spain)
- The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
About ‘Homebound’
Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in key roles. Ishaan plays Shoaib, Vishal portrays Chandan, while Janhvi is seen as Sudha.
The film follows the story of childhood friends Shoaib and Chandan, who aspire to join the police force. Their shared dream shapes their lives as the narrative explores themes of friendship, responsibility, ambition, and the pressures faced by today’s youth.
The film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Soman Mishra.
Homebound had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and was later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s article “Taking Amrit Home,” also known as “A Friendship, a Pandemic, and a Death Beside the Highway.”
The film was released theatrally worldwide on September 26, 2025, and later premiered on Netflix on November 21, 2025, where it received positive critical response.
India’s Recent Oscar Success
It is worth recalling that in 2023, India won two Oscars — ‘Naatu Naatu’ from RRR won Best Original Song, while The Elephant Whisperers won Best Documentary Short Film.
Indian-American Filmmaker Bags Two Nominations
Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir earned two Oscar nominations this year. Her short film The Devil Is Busy received a nomination in the Best Documentary Short category, while The Perfect Neighbor was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
Gandbhir, a veteran documentary filmmaker with over two decades of experience, is also a recipient of Emmy and Peabody Awards.
- The Devil Is Busy chronicles a day in the life of a women’s health clinic security head in Atlanta.
- The Perfect Neighbor is based on a true incident involving a shooting in Florida in 2023.
Other Oscar 2026 Highlights
Several major Hollywood films dominated the nominations list, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, and Chloé Zhao’s Hamlet. Films such as F1, Frankenstein, Train Dreams, and Bugonia also received key nominations.
In the acting categories:
- Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, and Wagner Moura earned their first Best Actor nominations
- Leonardo DiCaprio secured his sixth Best Actor nomination
- Timothée Chalamet received his third nomination