India’s Homebound out of Oscar Race!

India’s ambitious quest to snatch the ‘Black Lady’ during Oscars 2026 has crashed just before the final stage as the lone contender Homebound could not make to the last five nominations which were officially announced by the Academy just a while ago.

Dharma Productions’ Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, starring Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter, was India’s official submission to the Oscars this year. The film has already made it to the top 15 and sparked a glimmer of hope to end the country’s long pursuit to create history at the coveted Academy Awards.

Homebound was first film after Aamir Khan’s Lagaan to get a nomination in the Best Foreign Language film category which is now rechristened as Best International Feature Film.

Unfortunately, the film lost the Oscars race just before the final lap. Instead, the committee has picked: ‘The Secret Agent’ from Brazil, ‘It Was Just an Accident’ from France, ‘Sentimental Value’ from Norway, ‘Sirat’ from Spain, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ from Tunisia.

Homebound is based on a New York Times article and narrates the journey of two childhood friends, Shoaib and Chandan, played by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa who aspire to crack the national police exam as they hope that a police job will bring them the respect and recognition in the society. The story unspools during the COVID pandemic in 2021.

The painful wait for Indian film lovers will continue. In 2023, SS Rajamouli’s RRR won an Oscar for Best Original Song, “Naatu Naatu”. In the same year, The Elephant Whisperers also won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short. But, no Indian film has ever won an Oscar in the Best Film Category.

The final winners will be announced at 98th Academy Awards event which will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.