A Film Rooted in Real Lives
A journey shaped by real moments takes form in Homebound, India’s pick for the Oscars this year. Not polished stories but quiet struggles fill its scenes. Neeraj Ghaywan guides this story, one where hopes bend under hardship. Lives often overlooked become visible here. Poverty does more than limit chances – it reshapes feelings. Dreams fade without noise, yet their absence speaks loud. Big screens seldom pause for such voices.
What started it all was a newspaper story from 2020, one that showed how sudden stillness broke lives. Workers far from home found themselves stuck, jobs gone, roads closed. A quiet dread spread through their days. Yet somehow, small moments kept them moving. That mix – fear, waiting, a whisper of belief – became the heart of Homebound.
Friendship Against Social Barriers
A boy named Shoaib grows up beside another called Chandan. From a tiny village in north India, they share the same hope. Becoming cops feels like more than work – it means respect. To them, serving the state is safety wrapped in honor.
Friendship here slips through strict class lines without effort. One follows Islam – his name is Shoaib. The other, Chandan, comes from a Dalit background. Quiet scenes carry weight as belief and birth affect chances in life, often unseen. Drama takes a back seat. What matters emerges in hushed glances, held-back feelings.
Dreams in a System of Scarcity
A heavy silence hangs over the room where pencils scratch paper like tiny claws. Each year, crowds flood in with forms clutched tight – no guarantee waits at the end. Success slips through fingers more often than not. One scene lingers on faces lit by lamplight, studying late while doubt hums beneath their breath.
What happens here mirrors a much larger problem – too many young people without work across India. Through its story, the movie reveals persistence where institutions fall short. Years of trust between friends bend under growing stress.
Authentic Performances and Grounded Preparation
Out near dusty lanes of Uttar Pradesh, Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa stepped into quiet villages. Staying with households there gave them a feel for mornings that start before sunlight. Watching how people moved through their days made things click. Instead of guessing, they began to understand gestures, silences, rhythms. Little by little, the roles stopped being something acted out. Behind every line delivered later on screen was that stretch of real living.
A young actress steps into a smaller part on screen. This movie comes from a well-known Indian studio behind many hits. A famous American director helps guide it from afar. His name brings attention beyond borders.
Global Recognition at Film Festivals
A quiet hush settled over the audience when Homebound first played in May 2025. That moment happened under the bright lights of Cannes, tucked into Un Certain Regard. Reactions leaned toward approval without hesitation. Reviewers pointed to its subtlety – how little it needed to say much. Emotion ran deep even though scenes stayed still.
Festival circuits around the world began screening it after its debut. People far beyond Indian borders found meaning in its quiet look at pride, hope, still breathing.
India’s Oscar Bid
Chosen by India, Homebound heads to the Oscars as the country’s pick for Best International Feature Film. A quiet turn toward stories rooted in real life shows up here. Beyond borders, attention grows around indie films coming out of India.
A story without clear answers unfolds here. Questions linger long after the screen goes dark. Whose hopes are allowed room to grow? Left in the shadows, who waits silently? Each viewer carries these thoughts differently.
India speaks through Homebound – softly, yet it carries weight. Grounded in what is real. Forged slowly, by enduring much.