DIRECTOR: Neeraj Ghaywan
STARRING: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor, Shalini Vatsa, Pankaj Dubey
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs 2 minutes
LANGUAGE: Hindi
PLOT: Two childhood friends from a small North Indian village set their sights on a coveted police job that promises the dignity they’ve always been denied. But as they draw closer to their dream, ambition and desperation begin to test the bond that once seemed unbreakable.
GENRE: Drama
FILMING LOCATION: Madhya Pradesh, India
To check out all previous submissions for India, click HERE.
STARRING: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor, Shalini Vatsa, Pankaj Dubey
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs 2 minutes
LANGUAGE: Hindi
PLOT: Two childhood friends from a small North Indian village set their sights on a coveted police job that promises the dignity they’ve always been denied. But as they draw closer to their dream, ambition and desperation begin to test the bond that once seemed unbreakable.
GENRE: Drama
FILMING LOCATION: Madhya Pradesh, India
To check out all previous submissions for India, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“When you wear that uniform, your faith and caste no longer matter."
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound is a stirring and deeply compassionate portrait of ambition and identity set against the complex political landscape of rural India. The film follows two childhood friends, Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), who aspire to become police officers, an opportunity they believe will bring stability, dignity, and long-denied respect to their families. Ghaywan’s direction imbues their journey with humanity and poignancy, illuminating how the promise of social mobility is often undermined by systemic inequality. The filmmaker’s sensitive lens captures the emotional intensity of their dreams, and his storytelling brims with authenticity and quiet strength.
What makes Homebound especially powerful is its keen observation of the waiting, both literal and metaphorical, that defines so many lives in India’s marginalized communities. As Shoaib and Chandan’s recruitment hopes are endlessly delayed, Ghaywan evokes a haunting sense of suspended time, where ambition collides with the slow machinery of bureaucracy and prejudice. The film’s naturalistic performances, especially from Khatter and Jethwa, elevate its emotional core: both actors embody their characters’ yearning and despair with exquisite subtlety. Ghaywan’s visual style, intimate close-ups, subdued colors, and quiet moments of stillness, creates a world that feels lived-in and profoundly human.
Ghaywan’s writing also excels in depicting family and community life with tenderness and precision. Chandan’s devotion to his hardworking mother and his affection for Sudha, his romantic interest, bring a warmth that balances the film’s heavier social themes. Shoaib’s struggle to support his injured father while confronting casual Islamophobia within his workplace is rendered with empathy and truth. One of the film’s most memorable sequences, a workplace gathering devolving into an act of humiliating prejudice, reveals Ghaywan’s mastery of moral confrontation without sensationalism. His cinema finds its power not in outrage, but in empathy and stillness.
Homebound is a film about endurance, dignity, and the unbreakable spirit of those society tries to silence. It explores how marginalized individuals continue to dream, work, and love even within systems designed to hold them back. Ghaywan reminds us that progress begins with acknowledgment by listening to those whose voices are often unheard. Homebound stands as a moving testament to resilience and the enduring fight for self-worth in the face of systemic injustice, marking yet another triumph in Ghaywan’s humanist filmmaking.
(This review contains spoilers.)
“When you wear that uniform, your faith and caste no longer matter."
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound is a stirring and deeply compassionate portrait of ambition and identity set against the complex political landscape of rural India. The film follows two childhood friends, Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), who aspire to become police officers, an opportunity they believe will bring stability, dignity, and long-denied respect to their families. Ghaywan’s direction imbues their journey with humanity and poignancy, illuminating how the promise of social mobility is often undermined by systemic inequality. The filmmaker’s sensitive lens captures the emotional intensity of their dreams, and his storytelling brims with authenticity and quiet strength.
What makes Homebound especially powerful is its keen observation of the waiting, both literal and metaphorical, that defines so many lives in India’s marginalized communities. As Shoaib and Chandan’s recruitment hopes are endlessly delayed, Ghaywan evokes a haunting sense of suspended time, where ambition collides with the slow machinery of bureaucracy and prejudice. The film’s naturalistic performances, especially from Khatter and Jethwa, elevate its emotional core: both actors embody their characters’ yearning and despair with exquisite subtlety. Ghaywan’s visual style, intimate close-ups, subdued colors, and quiet moments of stillness, creates a world that feels lived-in and profoundly human.
Ghaywan’s writing also excels in depicting family and community life with tenderness and precision. Chandan’s devotion to his hardworking mother and his affection for Sudha, his romantic interest, bring a warmth that balances the film’s heavier social themes. Shoaib’s struggle to support his injured father while confronting casual Islamophobia within his workplace is rendered with empathy and truth. One of the film’s most memorable sequences, a workplace gathering devolving into an act of humiliating prejudice, reveals Ghaywan’s mastery of moral confrontation without sensationalism. His cinema finds its power not in outrage, but in empathy and stillness.
Homebound is a film about endurance, dignity, and the unbreakable spirit of those society tries to silence. It explores how marginalized individuals continue to dream, work, and love even within systems designed to hold them back. Ghaywan reminds us that progress begins with acknowledgment by listening to those whose voices are often unheard. Homebound stands as a moving testament to resilience and the enduring fight for self-worth in the face of systemic injustice, marking yet another triumph in Ghaywan’s humanist filmmaking.
