Film Title

Homebound

العودة إلى الوطن

Director

Neeraj Ghaywan

نيراج غيوان

Synopsis

Two childhood friends from a small village in northern India chase a police job that promises them the dignity they’ve long been denied. But as they inch closer to their dream, mounting desperation threatens the bond that holds them together.

في قريةٍ شمال الهند، يسعى صديقا الطفولة لاجتياز امتحان الالتحاق بسلك الشرطة الوطنية، المهنة التي قد تمنحهما الكرامة التي لم يتمكّنا من نيلها من قبل. وبينما يقتربان من تحقيق حلمهما، تهدّد خيبات الأمل الرباط المتين الذي يجمعهما.

Production Year

2025

Production Country

India

Running Time

2h02

With

Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor

Festivals/Awards

World Premiere in Un Certain Regard - Festival de Cannes 2025

Shortlisted for Oscar for Best International Feature Film - Academy Awards 2026

Language / Subtitles

In Hindi with English subtitles

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WojNkusud84

Neeraj Ghaywan is an award-winning Indian filmmaker whose work has been recognized globally for its emotional fervour and powerful socio-political themes. His debut feature, Masaan, premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Promising Future Award. The film was later screened at over 30 international festivals and is considered a modern Indian classic.

Since then, Neeraj has built a distinct body of work across film and long-form streaming, often centering his narratives around caste, class, gender, and identity. His segment Geeli Pucchi in Netflix’s anthology Ajeeb Daastaans received widespread acclaim for its exploration of the intersectionality of caste, gender and sexuality. He also directed key episodes of Made in Heaven Season 2, bringing sharp emotional insight to stories that deal with privilege, power, and social mobility.

In 2022, Ghaywan was featured in Variety’s “International Directors to Watch” and continues to be one of the few Indian filmmakers whose work has both critical acclaim and cultural impact across borders. He is also among the most visible voices in Indian cinema speaking about identity and the politics of representation in mainstream media.

With Homebound, Neeraj returns to Cannes with a deeply personal and emotional film. It is a quiet reckoning told through performance and silence — a signature that has become uniquely his own.