India had its eyes on Homebound as the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were revealed earlier this year. However, the Neeraj Ghaywan directorial failed to secure a place among the final nominees in the Best International Feature Film category. The development marked another year of disappointment for Indian cinema at the Oscars, with Lagaan in 2002 remaining the last Indian film to reach the final nominations.

Meanwhile, Norway’s Sentimental Value ultimately emerged as the winner in the category, making history for its country at the prestigious awards.

Homebound Misses The Final Nomination List

Produced by Dharma Productions’ Karan Johar along with Apoorva Mehta and Adar Poonawalla, Homebound had generated considerable attention during the awards season. The film draws inspiration from a 2020 New York Times article by Basharat Peer and tells the story of two friends, Shoaib and Chandan, who come from marginalised communities.

The narrative follows their struggles against systemic discrimination as they attempt to build a life for themselves. Their journey becomes even more challenging during the COVID-19 lockdown, when both men lose their livelihoods and are forced to confront harsh realities while trying to return home.

Despite its strong social themes and critical appreciation, the film did not make it into the final list of five nominees. The titles that secured nominations in the Best International Feature category were The Secret Agent (Brazil), It Was Just an Accident (France), Sentimental Value (Norway), Sirât (Spain) and The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia).

In earlier interviews about the film’s Oscar campaign, Karan Johar had spoken about the demanding nature of promoting films internationally. He explained that the process requires extensive publicity efforts, travel, and overseas screenings, often without certainty of results.

“You have to employ publicists and travel and make noise and do media abroad and screenings abroad. 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,” he said.

Sentimental Value Wins Best International Feature

The Oscar for Best International Feature Film goes to “Sentimental Value.” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/phWkspIopV

— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 16, 2026

While Homebound did not progress to the final nominations, the night belonged to Norway’s Sentimental Value, which won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.

Directed by Joachim Trier, the film stars Stellan Skarsgård as a filmmaker who struggles with strained relationships with his daughters, portrayed by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. The emotional drama had already gained recognition during the awards season and was widely praised for its storytelling and performances.

During his acceptance speech, Trier reflected on the power of international cinema and its role in addressing global challenges.

He said the nominated films were “important, beautiful films that reflect our present crises and the crises of the past”.

He added: “I want to end by paraphrasing the wonderful American writer James Baldwin, who makes us remember that all adults are responsible for all children, and let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously and into account.”

The film’s victory also marked a milestone for Norway, becoming the first film from the country to win in this category, despite several previous nominations.

Before the Oscars triumph, Sentimental Value had already made waves on the festival circuit. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it secured the Grand Prix, and later won the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language along with six European Film Awards.