By: Entertainment DeskNew Delhi | September 27, 2025 09:32 AM IST 2 min readHomebound box office collection day 1: Homebound, India’s official entry to the 98th Academy Awards, finally hit theatres on September 26. However, despite being a Dharma Productions film, it opened with limited shows across the country. According to data available on BookMyShow, the film had just around 400 shows in multiplexes nationwide—a stark contrast to the wide releases typically associated with Dharma.According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Homebound earned Rs 29 lakh on its opening day. Notably, the film underwent 11 modifications directed by the CBFC before it could be released in India, despite having already garnered recognition at prestigious international festivals like Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival. According to trade experts, the film released in about 200-225 screens. Trade analyst Komal Nahta told SCREEN: “The makers released it in a limited screens because it is not a usual commercial film. They wanted it to grow by word-of-mouth publicity.”ALSO READ | Homebound movie review: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor film unflinchingly brings up troubling home truthsHomebound, starring actors Vishal Jethwa, Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, marks yet another attempt by producer Karan Johar to address social issues through mainstream cinema. Known primarily for his glossy, commercial films, Karan first ventured into socially conscious storytelling with Dhadak in 2018. The film, which tackled caste dynamics, marked the debut of Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, and was a box office success, earning nearly Rs 120 crore. Dharma Productions followed it up with Dhadak 2, starring Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi. Despite positive reviews, the film underperformed, grossing just Rs 31.5 crore.Both Dhadak and Dhadak 2 saw relatively fewer shows than typical Dharma releases, which usually open with around 4000 shows across India. Dhadak debuted with 2,235 shows, while Dhadak 2 started with 1,854 shows, dropping to 1,375 within the first week. Homebound has even lesser shows, as it has just 131 shows in Delhi-NCR and 103 shows in Mumbai, based on data from multiplexes. There is currently no data available on its release in single-screen cinemas.Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound is reportedly made on a modest budget of Rs 25 crore, including marketing. Hollywood director Martin Scorsese is the executive producer on the film.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd