Oscars 2026: 'Homebound' team plans aggressive campaign before final voting
What's the story
Neeraj Ghaywan's film Homebound has made it to the shortlist for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Apoorva Mehta, co-producer of the film, spoke about their strategy to maximize visibility and outreach in this crucial phase before final nominations next month. The team is planning an aggressive campaign of screenings, public relations (PR), and outreach until then, Mid-Day reported.
Strategy
'Homebound' team aims to reach new voters
Mehta emphasized the importance of reaching out to new voters who haven't participated yet. He said, "You have many new voters. So, the key is to make the film more visible to them; have more people see the film, and hopefully they will spread the word." The first leg of their Oscar campaign began in November with screenings in Los Angeles, New York, and London.
Campaign details
'Homebound' team to go all out in January
Mehta revealed that they plan to go all out in the first two weeks of January. "Nobody [the competitors] will do anything this week because the holidays will start soon." "We plan to go all out in the first two weeks of January. [Our strategy] will be a mix of screenings, PR, press, and advertorials." He added that they would again travel to Los Angeles and New York with Homebound as part of their campaign.
Financial planning
Budget allocation for 'Homebound' Oscar campaign under discussion
An aggressive Oscar campaign requires a solid budget. When asked about the budget allocation for the next leg of their campaign, Mehta said, "That's what we're working on now." The final nominations for the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on January 22, 2026.
Milestone achievement
'Homebound' joins elite list of Indian films at Oscars
Homebound is only the fifth Indian movie to make it to the Oscars shortlist in the Best International Feature category. The film was chosen as India's official entry back in September and has now secured a spot among 15 shortlisted contenders out of 86 films from across the globe. Meanwhile, Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa.