Homebound Out Of Oscars 2026 Race, Ishaan Khatter-Vishal Jethwa Starrer Fails To Secure Nomination At 98th Academy Awards In Best International Film Category

Homebound, starring Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter, advanced to the final round of voting in the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. The final nominations for the Oscars 2026 were announced today, January 22. India's entry is not among the 5 movies nominated in the category. While Homebound did not make the cut at the Oscars, the nominated Best International Feature Film/s are - The Secret Agent (Brazil), It Was Just An Accident (France), Sentimental Value (Norway), Sirât (Spain) and The Voice Of Hind Rajab (Tunisia). 

Homebound became only the fifth Indian film ever to be shortlisted for an Oscar. Mother India (1958) was the first Indian movie to be nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category and famously lost to The Nights of Cabiria from Italy, only by one vote. 30 years later, hopes for India shining bright at the Academy Awards emerged again with Salaam Bombay (1989). The Mira Nair movie was shortlisted and ultimately secured a nomination, but also lost. Ashutosh Gowariker's directorial Lagaan (2022) was the third-ever Indian film to secure a nomination at the Oscars.

In 2023, the Gujarati film Last Film Show (Chhello Show) was officially shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards. It did not make the cut to the final five nominees. This time, Homebound has again skipped the awards after being shortlisted. The final winners in all categories will be announced on March 15, 2026, at the Oscar award ceremony, typically held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.  

Also Read: Oscars 2026: India's Kantara Chapter 1, Tanvi The Great Join Best Picture Race At 98th Academy Awards 

Frontrunners at Oscars 2026

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners led all films with 16 nominations going into the 98th Academy Awards, setting a record for the most in Oscar history. Sinners broke the 14-nomination mark set by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997) and La La Land (2016). Along with best picture, Coogler was nominated for best director and best screenplay and Michael B Jordan was rewarded with his first Oscar nomination, for best actor for his double role in Sinners.

 Also Read: Oscars 2026 Nominations: When And Where To Live Stream 98th Academy Awards Final Shortlist Announcement 

Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another bagged 13 nominations, followed by Frankenstein and Marty Supreme, both bagging 8 nods. Hamnet and Sentimental Value are both going into Oscars 2026 with 7 nominations each.