Karan Johar calls Oscar campaign for 'Homebound' a "bottomless pit"
Filmmaker Karan Johar got real about the costs of pushing Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound for an Oscar, calling it a "bottomless pit."
On a recent podcast, he said, "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,"
What's happening with 'Homebound?'
Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, just made it to the shortlist of 15 films (out of 89 entries) for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Oscars.
The campaign involves everything from hiring publicists to organizing international screenings—basically, serious cash.
For context: India gives ₹1 crore in aid for these campaigns.
Passion over profit
Johar's partner Adar Poonawalla wants to keep things focused on love for cinema instead of finances.
As he put it: "Let's not think of profit and loss on this one."
We'll find out if Homebound makes it further when nominations are announced on January 22, 2026.
Any past takes from Johar?
Interestingly, Johar recently spoke about how expensive Oscar campaigns can get—which adds another layer to Bollywood's ongoing debate about whether chasing awards is worth all that money.