Filmmaker Karan Johar and director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound recently earned global attention after being shortlisted among the 15 contenders for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards. Reflecting on the milestone, Karan described the film as a deeply personal endeavour, stressing that it was never driven by commercial considerations and that he did not expect any financial returns from the project.
Karan Johar on partnership with Adar Poonawalla
In a conversation with PeepingMoon and Telly MEK, Karan also opened up about his role at Dharma Productions following the sale of a 50 per cent stake in the banner to Adar Poonawalla. He made it clear that the creative reins remain firmly in his hands. Speaking about his business partner, Karan said, “Adar is one of the most gracious partners I could ever dreamt of. He is a missionary, he thinks large. He did take this decision to diversify and do something unusual. I am very much still the creative leader and the creative voice. He doesn’t get into that. He doesn’t interfere at all. He will see the larger picture and move on.”
Homebound's Oscar journey
Elaborating on Homebound and its Oscar journey, Karan revealed that financial concerns were never a sticking point, even when it came to the expensive awards campaign. He recalled discussing the realities of the process with Adar, saying, “We were doing Homebound. I told him that doing an Oscar campaign will cost money and sometimes it is a bottomless pit. Because you don’t know what the end result will be, and whether you will even make to the shortlist of 15 and then 5. It is an uphill task.”
He further explained the scale of effort required to push a film during awards season. “You have to employ publicists and travel and make noise and do media abroad and screenings abroad,” Karan said, adding that Adar’s response was unwavering. “But Adar said Karan, this is a great opportunity and a great film, let’s do everything in our capacity. Let’s not think of profit and loss on this one. Let’s think of passion over any monetary benefit. That’s what we did. It is not a money making exercise for us. It is about credibility, we will do other films for survival, but Homebound was always a passion project. There is no monetary game in that film.”
About Homebound
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound traces the emotional and harrowing journey of two migrant workers attempting to return home during the Covid-19 lockdown. The film stars Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa in lead roles, with Janhvi Kapoor playing a key character.