After being shortlisted for the 2026 Oscars, ‘Homebound’ lands in legal trouble as author Puja Changoiwala alleges copyright infringement |

It has been announced recently that ‘Homebound’ has been officially selected as India’s entry for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category at the 98th Academy Awards and has secured a place on the December shortlist. Just a few days after the film has been shortlisted for the Oscars, Journalist and author Puja Changoiwala has moved to take legal action against Dharma Productions and Netflix Entertainment Services India, alleging copyright infringement by the Hindi film ‘Homebound’. Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, the film has been in the global spotlight after making it to the Oscars shortlist.Changoiwala is preparing to approach the Bombay High Court, claiming that the film unlawfully draws from her 2021 novel, also titled ‘Homebound’. In an email to Hindustan Times, she confirmed that her lawyer had already sent a legal notice to the production house prior to initiating formal legal proceedings.

The film hit theatres on September 26, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The makers have maintained that the story is inspired by a 2020 New York Times article by journalist Basharat Peer, titled A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway. The narrative revolves around two childhood friends struggling to crack the national police examination amid the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.However, Changoiwala has challenged this explanation, arguing that the overlap between her book and the film goes far beyond a common setting. In her email, she pointed out that “the subject of both (her novel and the film) is the COVID-19 migrant exodus of 2020.” She further alleged, “Upon watching the film, I discovered that the producers have not only misappropriated the title of my book, but have also blatantly reproduced substantial portions of my novel in the second half of the film—including its scenes, dialogue, narrative structure, sequence of events, and other creative expressions.“According to the author, she served a legal notice to Dharma Productions on October 15 after watching the film. She said the notice included “providing a detailed, scene-by-scene account of their infringement of (her) rights.” She also claimed that the production house “refused to acknowledge the violation” in their responses.Changoiwala has since filed an application with the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, as part of the mandatory pre-litigation mediation process before initiating a commercial suit in the Bombay High Court.She has also accused the producers of misrepresentation, alleging that Dharma “committed a flagrant act of passing off” by using the same title as her novel, adding that it “cannot be a coincidence.” She further noted that the film’s script was developed in 2022, a year after her book had already been published.The author said she intends to pursue multiple remedies, including a permanent stay on the film’s distribution, removal of the allegedly infringing content, a change in the film’s title, and financial compensation. Emphasising the importance of taking a stand, she said, “I know I’m challenging powerful entities by taking this step, but I believe it’s important for writers to defend their work when it’s misappropriated and exploited without their consent.“Dharma Productions has chosen not to comment extensively on the issue. In a brief text message response to the same portal, a spokesperson stated, “We are responding to the claim legally and cannot comment anything right now.”