By Gaurav Sonavane

Copyright gqindia

On Friday, the Film Federation of India announced that Neeraj Ghaywan’s film, Homebound, has been officially selected as India’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. After receiving a positive response during its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and earning a standing ovation at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the film is set to arrive in Indian cinemas on September 26, 2025.
Homebound OTT release: Where to watch Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, & Vishal Jethwa’s Oscar-nominated movie
According to the film’s official new posters, Homebound will be available for streaming on Netflix following its theatrical release. Although the exact release date for the streaming platform has not yet been announced, it is expected to be available by November 2025, according to an Economic Times report (this is based on the typical eight-week gap between theatrical and digital releases).

Homebound features a talented ensemble cast, including Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa. This Oscar-nominated film explores themes of ambition, social injustice, and friendship, all set against the backdrop of rural India during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on Basharat Peer’s 2020 New York Times article Taking Amrit Home, now retitled A Friendship, a Pandemic, and a Death Beside the Highway, the film, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, tells the story of two childhood friends (played by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa) from a small town in North India. They aspire to join the police force to escape poverty and social discrimination. However, their journey is deeply affected by religious tensions and caste divisions, which ultimately test their bond.
Sharing his views on Homebound being chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars, Neeraj Ghaywan told Variety, “I’m deeply honored that Homebound has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Rooted in the love for our land and our people, it carries the essence of the home we all share. To take our stories to the world and represent India at one of the biggest global stages for cinema is both humbling and a matter of pride, and for this I’m extremely grateful.”
According to a Times of India report, Homebound outperformed many other films, including The Bengal Files, Superboys of Malegaon, Kesari Chapter 2, Pyre, Kannappa, Pushpa 2: The Rule, Jugnuma, Aata Thambaycha Naay, Phule, and Humans in the Loop, among others, in the race for the Oscars.
Before Homebound, three Indian films had received nominations in the Best International Feature Film category: Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Lagaan (2001).
Produced by Dharma Productions (Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra), Homebound has already won the Best Film and Best Director (for Neeraj Ghaywan) awards at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).