‘Homebound’ – A hard but rewarding watch that should leave you deeply touched…
India’s official entry to the Oscars is fully deserving of all its accolades, its journey from Cannes to the world’s most famous entertainment awards is just beginning…
THIS film will stay with you long after the closing credits…it is a work of art.
Ishaan Khatter as Shoaib gives what is a career defining performance and is ably supported and matched by Vishal Jethwa, who is Chandan.
Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor is excellent too as Sudha, the friend of Chandan’s – who becomes a lot more but this is not a romantic film; it’s true majesty comes from depicting the friendship between Shoaib and Chandan.
Born to loving parents, the family relationships between these young adult characters in their late teens or early 20s is extremely well-drawn and the supporting cast excels too.
This is a film about ambition, hope and the simple desire to build a different life to the one their parents have all endured and it is probably emblematic of many, many Indians in that 18-25 bracket.
Both Chandan and Shoaib dream of becoming police officers – of defying the conditions to which they have been born – and the path that in some ways is handed to them by wider society.
They are from a working class background – they both have a rudiementary roofs over their heads – their parents work in the field, cook, or have manual occupations. Their work is physcially demanding – the pay modest and both sets of parents are ageing and not in the very best of health.
For Shoaib, this simply adds to his level of responsibility and fires his desire to be someone – what director Neeraj Ghaywan so skilfully shows is how these two battle the system and buck it – to a degree. Their hope and ambition is inspiring and infectious – the will to be better is irresistible…
There is humour and fun and you really feel the high points in this film – there are not terribly many – but they really help to make the viewing experience a more comforting one – for you will go on this journey as the characters do, experiencing the blows and disappointments and cheering their every fine moment – because you’ve seen what they’ve suffered.
To get into the police force they have to pass an all important exam and early on this has an energy all of its own.
We see how Chandan and Shoaib bond – how much their families experience the heartache and fillips the two young men have along the way.
For a time, we really feel Shoaib’s difficulties – a Muslim – some in the company he works for as an ‘office boy’ treat him abominably, simply because of his different faith.
He graduates from office boy to salesman and shows he has an aptitude and flair – and it is only when he attends a company party that he finally reacts to all the slights and micro agressions heaped upon him.
It is not too different for Chandan who is battling similar prejudices as a low caste – Dalit. He is reluctant to give his full name in certain situations, knowing his cards will be marked and no good can emerge from it.
Ghaywan shows that discriminated groups can find solidarity and comradeship and what is very impressive is that the politics of the film are worn very lightly, if at all… It is not an issue film and yet there are many subjects here that Indian politics and politicians are still grappling with…
The last section is a very hard watch and it would be surprising if you didn’t feel moved by the plight of Chandan and Shoaib.
Sudha is more of a peripheral character in the last segement but as a trio, they strive for the same things and she too is from the same community as Chandan.
We first saw this film at its world premiere screening in Cannes (in May) and we say this because a second viewing has only deepened our admiration and respect for what Ghaywan has achieved.
It deserves to be nominated for an Oscar and reminds all of us that we have a simple duty to each other – to treat everyone the same, as another human being, regardless of anything else and afford them the simple respect we expect of others crossing our path…
Go see this film and appreciate Ghaywan’s mastery and adroitness – he deserves to be considered among the best filmmakers working anywhere today… (Sailesh Ram, editor www.asianculturevulture.com)
ACV rating: ***** (five out of five)
Top picture: Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) in ‘Homebound’
‘Homebound’ is in cinemas around the world from today (September 26)
🎥 On Monday (September 22), the film enjoyed a special screening in Mumbai with many Bollywood celebrities in attendance
🎥 Iconic director Martin Scorsese is executive producer and came on board at an early stage thanks to Melita Toscan du Plantier
🎥 One of the film’s principle backers is Karan Johar, one of India’s most commercially successful directors – who is synonymous with Bollywood and his production company Dharma Productions helped to get the film made
🎥 Director Neeraj Ghaywan wrote the film along with Sumit Roy, Varun Grover, Shreedhar Dubey and inspired by a story that appeared in the New York Times by Indian writer and journalist Basharat Peer
🎥 Official synopsis: ‘Homebound‘ follows two childhood friends from rural North India, who aspire to become policemen. They face caste and religious discrimination as they try to escape their societal roles, and struggle with systemic prejudice. Janhvi Kapoor’s character is also shown trying to push against restrictions
🎥 Homebound is distributed overseas by PHARS Film and Moviegoers Entertainment
🎥 It is Ghaywan’s second feature after ‘Masaan’ which also had a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015
See our interviews from Cannes 2025 and a very special moment for us there #cannes2025acv10
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