Karan Johar calls Homebound’s Oscar campaign a ‘bottomless pit’, says it’s a ‘passion project’, not a money game

In the glitzy and glamorous world of cinema, success is often measured by awards and rewards. Therefore, winning an Oscar is no less than a dream come true, a fairytale filled with global recognition, appreciation, and prestige. But sometimes, behind the glittering façade is a lot more than what meets the eye.

However, the reality behind an Oscar campaign is far from magical. It incorporates an elongated, exhausting, and expensive journey that demands immense dedication, planning, and belief in the film. Being recognised internationally requires efforts, time, and resources. It is not just about winning a trophy, but rather, for many filmmakers, it’s about giving their film a global platform.

Karan Johar on Oscar campaign

Speaking about the massive scale of Oscar campaigning, Karan Johar speaks about its demanding process, “You have to employ publicists and travel and make noise and do media abroad and screenings abroad.”
He further added, “But Adar said, ‘Karan, this is a great opportunity and a great film; let’s do everything in our capacity. Let’s not think of profit and loss on this one. Let’s think of passion over any monetary benefit.”

Calling Homebound a special project, he added, “That’s what we did. It is not a money-making exercise for us. It is about credibility; we will do other films for survival, but Homebound was always a passion project. There is no monetary game in that film.”

Karan on collaborating with Adar Poonawalla

Karan also opened up about selling a 50% stake in Dharma Productions to Adar Poonawalla and praised him for his vision and support. He said,“Adar is one of the most gracious partners I could ever dreamt of. He is a missionary, he thinks large.”

Karan further adds that despite the collaboration, he has full creative freedom. He shared that Adar never interferes in his work. He said, “I am very much still the creative leader and the creative voice. He doesn’t get into that. He doesn’t interfere at all. He will see the larger picture and move on.”

Speaking about the honest conversation with Adar about the unpredictable costs of an Oscar campaign, Karan revealed, “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 it to the shortlist of 15 and then 5. It is an uphill task.”

Karan Johar on Homebound

Karan Johar and Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound has been shortlisted among 15 films in contention for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Oscars. Speaking about this milestone, Karan called the film as a “passion project” and explained that money was never the driving force.