Homebound is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, based on a New York Times article by Basharat Peer from 2020 . Produced by Dharma Productions, the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, and follows two childhood friends who attempt to pass the national police exam . The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film for the 98th Academy Awards .
## International Success and Festival Reception
The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May and reportedly received a nine-minute standing ovation following the screening . It won the second runner-up spot at the International People’s Choice Award at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival . Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, was the unanimous choice of the Film Federation of India selection committee .
## Source Material and Inspiration
Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Homebound is based on an op-ed written by Basharat Peer in The New York Times, titled “A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway” . The essay chronicled the story of two real-life migrant workers, Mohammad Saiyub and Amrit Kumar, caught in India’s COVID-19 lockdown . Neeraj Ghaywan used this true story as its foundation but fictionalised the characters’ backstories to explore themes of caste, religion, and inequality in rural India .
## Plot and Characters
Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) is carrying his childhood friend, Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), as both attempt to traverse the last few hundred miles to their village in the midst of the COVID pandemic . One is Muslim, the other Dalit, and both have spent their lives fighting bigotry and poverty, only to be further marginalized by disease and a lockdown .
The film begins with both boys attempting to join the police force, with their reasoning being that once you’re wearing a uniform, faith and caste no longer matter . But it is an uphill battle, because there are approximately 714 candidates for each seat . Eventually, both end up in Surat, in state of Gujarat, but when the pandemic hits, work is shut down, and they must find a way back across thousands of miles to their village .
## Major Themes
### Caste Discrimination
There is a gut-wrenching sequence in which Chandan’s mother (played by Shalini Vatsa), who works in a village school, is forbidden from cooking for the children because of her caste . When the protesting parents are reminded that what they are doing is unconstitutional, a father angrily replies, “You can keep your constitution” .
Chandan, academically driven, belongs to a marginalized caste but hides his identity, opting for the ‘General’ category on admission forms . Chandan doesn’t want to be identified as someone from an oppressed caste .
### Religious Prejudice
Shoaib constantly faces mockery and suspicion because of his religious identity . Shoaib eventually gets a job where he is valued for his street smarts but also routinely reminded that he doesn’t belong .
### Constitutional Ideals vs Reality
The woman is sitting alone looking at a photograph of the great B. R. Ambedkar, who was the chief architect of the Indian constitution . Adopted in 1949, the document explicitly promises “justice, social, economic, and political” as a core guiding principle, and yet, more than 70 years later, discrimination remains deep and abiding .
### Friendship and Brotherhood
At the heart of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound is the image of one young man carrying another—early in the film as a moment of laughter and joy, and by the end as a desperate attempt to defy death . The film explores brotherhood through quiet camaraderie, unspoken care, and youthful impulsiveness, creating a layered, emotionally resonant experience .
## Critical Reception
The film was released theatrically on 26 September 2025 to critical acclaim with critics praising Ghaywan’s direction, the themes, performances, the writing and the editing .
**International Critics:**
Leslie Felperin of The Guardian described the film as “an emotionally rich study of friendship” with “excellent lead performances, strong cinematography,” and praised the director for creating “a realist work about impoverished young men from a rural northern Indian town” that is “neither dumbed down nor sanitised for westerners” .
Siddhant Adlakha of Variety called Homebound “the first time in ages that a mainstream Hindi-language production has felt vital – at least since Ghaywan’s own Masaan,” and described it as “a moving character piece, as well as a searing indictment of modern India” .
**Indian Critics:**
Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave the movie 5 out of 5 stars and wrote, “Homebound raises many questions. How did we get here? What has made us so bereft of empathy and compassion? A soul-stirring observation of a world growing cold, this is filmmaking at its finest” .
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that “Neeraj Ghaywan’s second feature in a decade may or may not bring an Oscar home, but what it offers is compassion and cautious optimism, something we so desperately need in these times” .
Subhash K Jha of News 24 gave 5 stars out of 5 and stated that “I have seldom seen a film where not a single frame can be removed without seriously damaging the end product” .
## Performances
Ishaan Khatter continues to impress, adding emotional depth to his role, while Vishal Jethwa is a revelation, subtle yet powerful as Chandan . Janhvi Kapoor delivers a neat performance as Chandan’s love interest, despite limited screen time, and Harshika Parmar brings the required fortitude as Chandan’s sister Vaishali .
Adlakha praised Khatter and Jethwa’s performances as “immensely endearing and unpredictable” .
## Box Office Performance
Despite critical acclaim and international recognition, the film struggled commercially in India. Homebound collected Rs 50 lakh nett in India on Saturday and Rs 30 lakh on Friday, with the Oscar-bound film making only Rs 80 lakh at the domestic box office in its first two days . According to trade analysts, good word-of-mouth will be essential for the movie to have a better run in the days ahead, especially considering other simultaneous releases .
## Cinematic Significance
South Indian films like ‘Jai Bhim’ and ‘Pariyerum Perumal’, or the Marathi ‘Sairat’, have explored caste oppression, but ‘Homebound’ is one of Bollywood’s rare films to tackle it boldly . 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 .
## Director’s Vision
Director Ghaywan, whose debut “Masaan” premiered at Cannes in 2015, is seen as one of India’s most distinctive contemporary filmmakers . The precision, beauty and emotion in the film is built on strong writing (the screenplay is by Ghaywan and the story is by Peer, Ghaywan and Sumit Roy) .
## Oscar Prospects
Whether “Homebound” can convert its critical acclaim into Oscar traction will depend heavily on campaign strategy—mounted by producer Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions—in the coming months . With more than 70 entries worldwide, the competition promises to be intense, with the 15-film shortlist expected on December 16, 2025, and the final five nominees revealed on January 22, 2026 .
Homebound represents a powerful intersection of socially conscious film making and mainstream Indian cinema. Rooted in the love for our land and our people, it carries the essence of the home we all share , as stated by the director. The film succeeds in bringing urgent social issues to international attention while maintaining its emotional core—a testament to friendship and human dignity amid systemic oppression. While it may face challenges in achieving widespread commercial success domestically, its impact on the global stage and as a piece of important social commentary is undeniable.
