Homebound (2025 film)
| Homebound | |
|---|---|
.jpg) First Poster | |
| Directed by | Neeraj Ghaywan |
| Screenplay by | Neeraj Ghaywan |
| Story by | Basharat Peer |
| Based on | "A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway" by Basharat Peer |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pratik Shah |
| Edited by | Nitin Baid |
| Music by |
|
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Homebound is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan.[1][2] The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor.[3] It is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra under the banner of Dharma Productions.[4][5][6][7][8]
Plot
[edit]Two childhood friends from a small village in North India dream of becoming police officers, hoping the job will bring them the respect they never had. However, as they come closer to their goal, pressure and struggles create problems in their friendship.
Cast
[edit]- Vishal Jethwa as Chandan Kumar[9][10]
- Ishaan Khatter as Mohammed Shoaib Ali[11]
- Janhvi Kapoor as Sudha Bharti [12]
- Harshika Parmar as Vaishali, Chandan's sister
- Reem Shaikh[13]
Production
[edit]The film's original story was inspired by the New York Times 2020 essay Taking Amrit Home (now retitled A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway by Kashmiri journalist Basharat Peer. It recounts the story of two young migrant workers in Surat, who were caught in the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.[14][15][16]
During the pandemic, the story caught the eye of director Neeraj Ghaywan, after it was recommended by producer Somen Mishra at Dharma Productions. This is Ghaywan's second feature after debuting with Masaan (2015), which received widespread acclaim. Subsequently, Dharma Productions bought the rights from The New York Times and script development started, wherein the backstories of both protagonists were fictionalised, while keeping the essence of the original. [17] French producer Mélita Toscan du Plantier brought in Martin Scorsese on board as executive producer.[17][18] Scorsese also helped Ghaywan in crafting the screenplay and later during the editing process, watching three different cuts of the film.[19] The film was shot in 2024 mainly in and around Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh state.[20]
Release
[edit]Homebound premiered on 21 May 2025 at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France.[21][22]
Reception
[edit]
Namrata Joshi of Cinemaexpress gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "There is an authenticity to Homebound that goes beyond the writing and the language. It’s in the realness of the spaces.[23]
Shrishti Negi of news18 cited Variety's praise of Khatter and Jethwa’s performances as immensely endearing and unpredictable.[24]
Santanu Das of Hindusthan Times said "Neeraj Ghaywan film hailed as 'deeply empathetic' with particular praise for Ishaan Khatter".[25]
Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote 'Homebound' is A Stunning Portrait of Systemic Cruelty and Defiant Courage [26]
Aseem Chhabra, writing for BBC Culture, highlighted the film’s exploration of caste and religious identities and noted that its depiction of marginalized communities resonated strongly with festival audiences.[27]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 24 May 2025 | Un Certain Regard Award | Neeraj Ghaywan | Nominated | [28] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Ishaan Khatter 'Very Proud' Of Homebound Going To Cannes 2025- EXCLUSIVE". Times Now. 2025-05-19. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ Video | The Ishaan Khatter & Janhvi Kapoor Starrer 'Homebound' Will Be Screened At Cannes. Retrieved 2025-06-02 – via www.ndtv.com.
- ^ "Arjun Kapoor Congratulates Team Homebound As Film Heads To Cannes 2025". News18. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (2025-04-11). "Cannes 2025: Homebound by Neeraj Ghaywan makes it to 'Un Certain Regard' section : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "First look at Homebound: Fans celebrate Neeraj Ghaywan's return to Cannes 2025, but Janhvi Kapoor's role causes backlash".
- ^ "Martin Scorsese boards Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter starrer 'Homebound' as executive producer". The Hindu. 2025-04-26. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "Homebound At Cannes 2025: Karan Johar Reveals Martin Scorsese Was Interested In Neeraj Ghaywan's Next After Masaan". Times Now. 2025-05-21. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2025-05-21). "Karan Johar and Neeraj Ghaywan on Star Kids, Martin Scorsese and Their Cannes Selection 'Homebound': 'Living a Cinematic Dream'". Variety. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "Homebound actor Vishal Jethwa feels like a 'misfit' in 'new world' of Bollywood". India Today. 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Vishal Jethwa Opens Up About Feeling Like A 'Misfit' In Bollywood". news18.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (2025-05-13). "Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter to make Cannes 2025 debut with Homebound 2025 : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Retrieved 2025-05-16.
- ^ "Janhvi Kapoor on stepping into a powerful new role and bringing Homebound to Cannes". vogue.
- ^ "'Homebound' director Neeraj Ghaywan: 'What if we practise empathy and listen to the other side?'". scroll.in. 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Homebound at Cannes 2025: The real story behind the film". The Indian Express. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Homebound: The human story that will stun Cannes". Rediff. 2025-05-21. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Kashmiri writer's story inspires Cannes-bound film". BBC News. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ a b The Hindu Bureau (24 May 2025). "Cannes 2025: The true story behind Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound', inspired by a pandemic-era New York Times essay". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Chhabra, Aseem (22 May 2025). "Homebound: Scorsese backed Indian film that got a nine-minute ovation at Cannes". BBC Home. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ RICH, David (23 May 2025). "Cannes 2025: How Scorsese helped push Indian drama 'Homebound' over the line". France 24. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Madhya Pradesh-shot film ‘Homebound’ creates buzz at Cannes Film Festival The News Mill, May 28, 2025.
- ^ "Homebound First Poster Out; Ishaan, Janhvi's Film To Premiere At Cannes 2025 On May 21". News18. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
- ^ Joshi, Namrata (2025-05-23). "Homebound Movie Review: Solidarity in Suppression". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "Homebound FIRST Review Out: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa Shine In Ghaywan's Moving Cannes Film". News18. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "Homebound first reviews: Neeraj Ghaywan film hailed as 'deeply empathetic' with particular praise for Ishaan Khatter".
- ^ "Cannes 2025 Short Takes: 'Homebound' is A Stunning Portrait of Systemic Cruelty and Defiant Courage". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ "Homebound: Scorsese backed Indian film that got a nine-minute ovation at Cannes". www.bbc.com. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.