Oscar-Shortlisted Homebound Lands In Legal Trouble

Homebound, a Hindi film recently shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards is now facing a legal issue. Journalist and author Puja Changoiwala has taken legal action against Dharma Productions and Netflix India claiming that the film copies her 2021 novel Homebound without permission.

Changoiwala says she moved legally only after her lawyer sent a notice to Dharma Productions which she feels was not properly responded to. While both the book and the film are based on the COVID-19 migrant crisis of 2020 and she argues that the similarities go much deeper than just the background.

She claims that the second half of the film copies key parts of her novel, including scenes, dialogues, story flow and sequence of events, along with using the same title. Her legal team sent a detailed, scene by scene notice to the producers on October 15th but she says the film continued to be promoted and streamed on Netflix.

Changoiwala has now approached the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority a required step before filing a case in the Bombay High Court. She is seeking a ban on the film’s distribution, removal of copied content, a title change, and financial compensation. Dharma Productions and Netflix have not yet given a detailed response.

‘Homebound’ Faces Copyright Claim After Oscars Shortlist#homebound #pujachangoiwala #dharmaproductions #neerajghaywan #netflix pic.twitter.com/uBPpdzbyz6

— RVCJ Movies (@rvcjmovies) December 24, 2025