Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor and produced by Karan Johar, hit theatres on September 26, but its domestic reception was underwhelming—even though it was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars.
One key reason cited by film critic Ramachandran Srinivasan was its very short duration. After censor board cuts, the film’s runtime shrank to just about 1 hour and 2 minutes, leading audiences to question why they would pay full ticket prices for such a brief experience.
Beyond that, its theatrical release was limited in scale, which further restricted audience access. Srinivasan pointed out that multiplex operators often depend on early box office performance; when Homebound posted modest initial collections—around ₹75 lakh in its early showings—they were reluctant to expand its screening.
Another challenge was awareness and visibility. Despite being the Oscar entry, the film lacked the kind of aggressive promotional push needed to ensure people knew it was releasing. Without buzz ahead of its release, many potential viewers remained unaware it was even in theatres.
Srinivasan also compared Homebound to films like Lunchbox, which managed to succeed both in India and internationally despite similar genre constraints. He suggested that while Homebound has critical acclaim and an international presence, it hasn’t yet translated into commercial traction either domestically or overseas.
In short, a combination of a short runtime, limited screens, cautious multiplex decisions, and a subdued promotional campaign contributed to Homebound’s disappointing footfall at Indian box offices—even as it enters the Oscar conversation.
