Homebound's Oscar shortlist underscores a growing appetite for nuance in Indian cinema
As Homebound earns Oscar recognition, the world is finally embracing India’s softer, character-driven stories; and Indian audiences are, too.
When filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's film, Homebound, found its place on the Oscars shortlist, it did so without spectacle. No dramatic flourishes, no high-decibel moments engineered for global attention. The film arrived exactly as it was made: quietly, thoughtfully, anchored in emotion rather than excess. And that is precisely why its recognition feels significant, not just as an awards milestone, but as a cultural shift.
For years, Indian cinema’s global image has been dominated by a singular narrative: song, dance, colour, scale. While that tradition remains vital and beloved, it has often eclipsed another cinematic language India has long spoken: one of restraint and lived-in realism. Homebound belongs firmly to the second category. Its Oscar shortlisting signals that the world is finally listening beyond the expected, making space for stories that unfold gently and linger long after the Fridays pass and the screens fade to black.
At its core, Homebound is a film that banks on silence. It resists the urge to explain or dramatise emotion, choosing instead to sit with it. The performances by the leads, Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, are measured, and the storytelling is patient. It is cinema that asks for attention rather than demanding it. In a global landscape increasingly driven by scale, this kind of filmmaking feels almost defiant in its softness.
Homebound's Oscar nomination also sits within a larger legacy of Indian films that have made their mark at the Oscars in very different ways. Aamir Khan's Lagaan brought epic storytelling and grassroots ambition to the global stage, while Slumdog Millionaire, though a British production, became inseparable from conversations around India’s cinematic visibility abroad. More recently, SS Rajamouli's RRR’s historic win for Naatu Naatu reaffirmed the world’s appetite for Indian cinema’s exuberance and spectacle. What Homebound adds to this lineage is contrast. It expands the definition of what Indian films can represent internationally, proving that quietude can travel just as powerfully as scale.
Beyond the Oscars, Indian cinema has been steadily carving out space at major global film festivals as well. Cannes, in particular, has become a crucial platform for Indian stories that resist the quintessential large-scale mould. Films like All We Imagine As Light have been celebrated for their poetic realism and emotional depth, reinforcing the idea that Indian filmmakers are increasingly being recognised for nuance, not noise. These festival moments collectively point to a broader recalibration of how Indian cinema is perceived and valued on the world stage.
What makes this shift even more compelling is that it mirrors a change happening closer home. Indian audiences are evolving, too. There is a growing openness to films that prioritise feeling over formula, characters over crescendo. Viewers are seeking stories that reflect emotional truths rather than cinematic fantasy alone. Streaming platforms may have accelerated this change, but the appetite itself feels organic, born out of a desire for connection rather than mere escape and distraction.
Homebound arrives at this intersection. It has mainstream 'popular' names attached to it like Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and producer Karan Johar, and yet it is rooted in unglamorous realism. It does not attempt to redefine Indian cinema, nor does it reject its past. Instead, it quietly expands the conversation. It reminds us that Indian storytelling has always contained multiple layers, and that there has always been room for softness alongside spectacle.
The Oscars shortlist is a significant milestone, but it is not the ultimate destination. It is a moment of affirmation for filmmakers telling quieter stories, and for audiences willing to meet them there. Homebound shows us that sometimes, the most beautiful journeys are the ones that do not announce themselves loudly. They simply unfold and stay with you.
Lead image: Hype PR
Also read: How Neeraj Ghaywan’s 'Homebound' turns everyday detail into a cinema of honesty