Homebound's Tepid Box Office Debut Dampens Oscar Hopes

As of September 28, 2025, India's official entry for the Oscars 2026, Homebound, has recorded a disappointing start at the domestic box office. The film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, has so far collected only ₹80 lakh in India.

Homebound opened with ₹30 lakh on Friday and added ₹50 lakh on Saturday. These numbers fall significantly short when compared to the openings of Ishaan Khatter's previous films, Dhadak (₹11.04 crore on day two) and Phone Bhoot (₹2.75 crore), as well as Vishal Jethwa's Salaam Venky (₹55 lakh on day two).

Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound takes inspiration from journalist Basharat Peer's article and traces the journey of two childhood friends, a Muslim and a Dalit, who dream of joining the police force. The project is backed by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, with Martin Scorsese serving as executive producer. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the film was also showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The tepid start at the box office has dampened the film's Oscar hopes, as it was expected to be a strong contender for India's official entry in 2026. The producers and the filmmakers will now have to work hard to generate more interest and drive up the box office numbers in the coming weeks to keep the film's Oscar dreams alive.