Karan Johar, Neeraj Ghaywan break silence as ‘Homebound’ fails to make it to Oscars shortlist

The makers of ‘Homebound’, India’s official entry to the Oscars, have responded to the film not making it to the shortlist. Within hours of the nominees being revealed, filmmaker Karan Johar and director Neeraj Ghaywan took to social media to express mutual admiration and gratitude.Karan Johar, sharing a collage of film stills, wrote that he was proud of the team and of Neeraj Ghaywan. “Proud! Love you, Neeraj Ghaywan, for letting us bask in your light!” he posted.

In response, Neeraj Ghaywan expressed heartfelt gratitude to Johar, calling him an ‘absolute rock’. “Thank you, Karan Johar! You have been an absolute rock. Couldn’t have come this far without you. Love you!”, wrote Neeraj.

For the uninitiated, the five films that made it to the final Oscar shortlist are ‘The Secret Agent’ (Brazil), ‘It Was Just an Accident’ (France), ‘Sentimental Value’ (Norway), ‘Sirât’ (Spain), and ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ (Tunisia).

Last year, Homebound premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival, where it received critical appreciation. Later, Dharma Productions got on board and joined the project as a presenter and eventually became its producer. The film was released in India on September 26 on limited screens and had a modest box-office run but received great reviews from the audiences and critics alike.

The film stars actors Vishal Jethwa, Ishaan Khatter in lead roles, with Janhvi Kapoor making a cameo appearance. The last Indian film to receive a nomination in this category was Aamir Khan’s Lagaan in 2001. Last year, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light was not selected as India’s official entry but still earned international recognition. The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.