Homebound accused of plagiarism by author who claims the film unlawfully copies her novel

A plagiarism accusation against"Homebound" has brought the Oscar-shortlisted film under intense scrutiny. This happened after author and journalist Puja Changoiwala raised the allegation that the film copies her 2021 novel, which is also named Homebound. The writer points out that the similarities are not only limited to a common pandemic background but also the narrative structure, the order of the events, the development of the characters, and the key scenes, especially from the second half of the film.

Legal developments in the plagiarism accusation against Homebound

Changoiwala stated that the filmmakers chose the same name for their work and allegedly extracted the distinctive features of her book without giving her consent. She served a legal notice to Dharma Productions in October 2025, and later, she filed a formal petition under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, which is an official request for pre-litigation mediation. This is a step before a possible copyright infringement lawsuit in the Bombay High Court.

Homebound, the film directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in leading roles, takes place against the backdrop of the COVID-19 migrant crisis of 2020, and tells the story of the two friends who were living together during the lockdown and suddenly find themselves unable to return to their homes until after the lockdown is lifted.

This film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 and was then selected as one of the top movies from India to be considered for a nomination in the category of International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

The plaintiff is asking for several types of relief, including an injunction to stop further distribution of the film, removal of the allegedly infringing materials, changing the movie title, and monetary damages. Dharma Productions has confirmed that they received the plaintiff’s legal correspondence, and their response will be provided through suitable legal channels.

Dharma Productions will not provide any additional comments on this matter. Netflix, the distributor for this movie, has also not provided any public comment.

Despite the plagiarism accusation against Homebound, the film’s recognition by film festivals and eligibility for the Academy Awards are not currently impacted. However, legal experts have indicated that if a judge issues an injunction, it would affect the film’s distribution opportunities, awards campaign, and long-term success at the box office.

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