Homebound box office collection day 1: India’s Oscar entry film, helmed by Neeraj Ghaywan, has collected less than half a crore at the domestic box office. The movie stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.

Just days ahead of its theatrical release, the film was announced as India’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars. It has been selected in the Best International Feature category.

Despite receiving critical acclaim, the movie opened with a modest performance at the box office.

Homebound Box Office Collection Day 1

According to Sacnilk.com, Homebound earned Rs 30 lakh nett in India as per early estimates. The film’s opening day numbers are lower compared to Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor’s Dhadak, which earned Rs 8.71 crore on day one, and Phone Bhoot, which collected Rs 2.05 crore, according to Sacnilk.com.

The movie is expected to pick up pace over the weekend.

About Homebound

Homebound tells the story of Shoaib and Chandan as they navigate their lives in a haunting yet tender tale of two young men from the lower middle class. One struggles with his caste identity, while the other endures discrimination based on faith. Despite their differences, both share the same dream: to wear the police uniform not merely for survival, but for dignity.

The film, loosely adapted from Basharat Peer’s 2020 New York Times essay about migrant workers walking hundreds of miles during the lockdown, becomes a mirror of how the marginalized are left without a safety net.

“Homebound doesn’t indulge in melodrama or noise. Its strength lies in realism. It doesn’t feel like a ‘message film,’ but rather a lived reality, rendered with nuance. When the lights come back on, you don’t just leave the theater. You sit in silence. Around you, people are crying softly, lost in thought, grappling with the hard truths the film has laid bare,” Zee News wrote in its review of the film.

Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese has also contributed to the film as an executive producer.