CANNES, FRANCE — Indian filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s latest feature, Homebound, has received a thunderous nine-minute standing ovation following its premiere in the “Un Certain Regard” section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, solidifying its place as one of the year’s most powerful cinematic achievements.
Inspired by Basharat Peer’s New York Times essay Taking Amrit Home, Homebound follows the poignant journey of two childhood friends — a Dalit and a Muslim — who undertake an arduous journey on foot during India’s 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. The film explores themes of caste, marginalization, friendship, and survival with searing emotional depth and social urgency.
Ghaywan, best known for his Cannes-debut Masaan, once again brings to the forefront the realities of India’s oppressed communities, drawing from his own experience as one of the few acknowledged Dalit voices in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and supported by Martin Scorsese as executive producer, Homebound represents an unprecedented collaboration between India’s commercial and global arthouse cinema. Scorsese, moved by the project’s humanity and vision, offered guidance during the editing process, lending global gravitas to the film’s release.
Starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, Homebound is both a sweeping visual odyssey and an intimate portrayal of friendship and resilience. Kapoor, who plays a young Dalit woman, is being widely praised for her nuanced performance.
Notable figures such as Mira Nair and Saim Sadiq were present at the screening, underlining the event’s cultural significance. Audience members were visibly moved, with many in tears, as Ghaywan and his cast shared an emotional group hug following the film.
Critics have lauded Homebound for its seamless blend of fiction and lived reality, calling it “a powerful public document” and “a humanizing portrait of India’s forgotten millions.” Filmed against the backdrop of India’s northern countryside, the film captures both the harshness and hope of the migrant experience.
Beyond its artistic impact, Homebound is poised to reignite crucial conversations around caste, identity, and the untold stories of India’s interior landscapes.