Homebound In Oscars 2026: Vishal Jethwa Beams With Pride As His Movie Gets Shortlisted; Says ‘It Feels Surreal’

Homebound,
backed
by
Dharma
Productions,
has
moved
into
the
Oscars
2026
shortlist
for
Best
International
Feature
Film,
giving
actor
Vishal
Jethwa
and
the
team
a
major
reason
to
celebrate.
The
film,
starring
Ishaan
Khatter,
Vishal
Jethwa
and
Janhvi
Kapoor,
continues
to
gain
wide
international
praise
from
audiences
and
critics.

This
shortlist
stage
places
Homebound
among
15
films
that
progress
to
the
next
round
of
voting
in
the
category.
The
film
now
stands
just
one
step
away
from
an
official
nomination,
which
will
be
revealed
on
22nd
January
at
the
98th
Academy
Awards
announcement.

Homebound
Oscars
shortlist
reaction
from
Vishal
Jethwa

Reacting
to
the
Oscars
progress,
Vishal
Jethwa
shared
that
the
moment
marked
a
personal
milestone
and
a
collective
victory
for
the
entire
unit.
Jethwa
stressed
that
the
response
from
viewers
worldwide
had
been
deeply
moving
and
singled
out
the
creative
team
for
special
thanks.

Vishal
Jethwa
said,
“This
moment
feels
surreal
and
incredibly
humbling.
To
see
Homebound
being
shortlisted
and
progressing
towards
the
Oscars
is
something
I
could
have
only
dreamed
of.
I
am
deeply
grateful
for
the
love
and
support
the
film
has
received
from
audiences
around
the
world.
I
want
to
sincerely
thank
Karan
Johar
sir
for
believing
in
this
story
and
in
us
as
artists
his
vision
and
backing
gave
Homebound
the
wings
it
needed.
Neeraj
Ghaywan
sir’s
sensitivity,
honesty,
and
clarity
as
a
filmmaker
pushed
me
to
explore
emotional
depths
I
had
never
touched
before.
Working
under
his
direction
has
been
nothing
short
of
transformative.
I
also
want
to
thank
Ishaan
Khatter,
whose
passion
and
commitment
elevated
every
scene,
we
learned
so
much
from
each
other
on
this
journey.
This
recognition
belongs
to
the
entire
team
that
poured
their
heart
and
soul
into
the
film”.

Homebound
Oscars
shortlist
praise
from
Karan
Johar

Karan
Johar
marked
the
Homebound
Oscars
shortlist
achievement
by
posting
a
screenshot
of
the
official
list
on
Instagram.
Johar
paired
the
image
with
a
long
note,
describing
the
journey
of
the
film
from
its
early
screenings
to
global
acclaim
and
festival
success.

Karan
Johar
wrote,
“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
…
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!
Love
to
the
entire
cast
and
crew
and
teams
of
this
special
special
film!!!!!!!!!
Upwards
and
onwards……..
#HOMEBOUND
streaming
now
on
@netflix_in.”

Homebound
follows
Chandan
and
Shoaib,
close
friends
who
grow
up
facing
rigid
caste
and
religious
divides.
Their
friendship
is
tested
as
the
COVID-19
pandemic
reshapes
daily
life,
adding
layers
of
emotional
strain
and
social
tension
to
their
struggle
against
long-standing
discrimination
and
inequality.

Key
details
about
the
Homebound
Oscars
shortlist
and
the
film’s
journey
so
far
are
given
below.

With
recognition
on
the
Homebound
Oscars
shortlist,
the
film’s
team,
including
Neeraj
Ghaywan,
Karan
Johar,
Ishaan
Khatter
and
Vishal
Jethwa,
now
awaits
the
final
nominations.
The
shortlist
placement
reflects
the
strong
response
to
its
portrayal
of
caste,
religion
and
pandemic-era
realities,
both
in
India
and
in
global
markets.