Neeraj Ghaywan, a talented filmmaker from Hyderabad, has made waves with his latest Hindi film Homebound, which has earned a spot as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, set for March next year. Firdousul Hassan, President of the Film Federation of India, confirmed that Homebound will represent the country in the prestigious Oscar race.
OMG!! This is real! Homebound is India’s official entry to compete for the Best International Feature at th 98th Academy awards!! pic.twitter.com/aemprNafok
— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) September 19, 2025
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan (Homebound Director), the film features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in key roles. Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, Homebound is slated for a theatrical release on September 26. The story follows two childhood friends, Mohammad Shoaib (played by Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan Kumar (played by Vishal Jethwa), as they confront caste and religious prejudices while chasing their shared dream of becoming police officers, as hinted in the film’s compelling trailer.
“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final!”
Presenting the trailer for #Homebound. In cinemas 26th September.
All the people who were part of this homebound journey:
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor,
Shalini… pic.twitter.com/3TiXGMlzRt— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) September 17, 2025
Homebound has already gained international recognition, with screenings at major festivals like the Cannes Film Festival in May and the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, where it also bagged a few awards. The Film Federation of India reportedly reviewed several other films, including Telugu titles Pushpa: The Rule and Kannappa, and Hindi films like Tanvi: The Great, The Bengali Files, Kesari Chapter 2, Jugnoo, and Phule, before selecting Homebound as India’s Oscar contender.
