United News of Bangladesh

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards have been announced, ending hopes for India’s official entry Homebound, which failed to make the final list in the Best International Feature Film category. Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, had reached the shortlist stage and drew attention internationally. The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. In the overall race, Sinners emerged as the top nominee with 16 nods, while One Battle After Another also featured among major contenders across categories, according to the report. The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15. Comedian Conan O’Brien is set to host the event. The report also noted that Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian actor to earn a Best Actor nomination, while Timothee Chalamet set a record as the youngest male actor to receive three acting nominations.   With inputs from NDTV

Ishaan Khatter, who recently created waves with his role as Prince Aviraaj Singh in The Royals, is now making headlines with his Cannes debut in Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. The film, which also stars Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa, has marked a significant moment in Ishaan’s career. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ishaan opened up about the stark contrast between his suave, polished role in The Royals and the emotionally intense character he plays in Homebound. According to him, the most difficult part was the preparation—truly connecting with the new character and internalizing it enough so that he could perform naturally on set. He shared that it was challenging to separate himself from the character in Homebound, especially since filming for the project began right after finishing The Royals. A major part of the transformation, he revealed, was physical. Director Neeraj Ghaywan asked him to lose weight to better match the look and feel of his Homebound role. Ishaan also mentioned spending two months in Madhya Pradesh during the shoot, fully immersed in the world of the film. Despite the intense process, the critical acclaim the film received at Cannes made it all worthwhile. Homebound is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese attached as Executive Producer. Source NDTV