Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound has been chosen as India's official entry for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category.

The announcement was made by N Chandra, the chief of the selection committee, on Friday.

Chandra said 24 films in different languages were in contention for representing the country at the Oscars.

"It was a very difficult choice. These were films that touched the lives of people," he said.

Homebound is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Marijke deSouza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier as co-producers.

It also has legendary Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese as an executive producer.

The film has Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.

Homebound portrays the story of two childhood friends from a small north Indian village who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied.