Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has spoken out in support of producer Karan Johar, who recently faced online criticism for his comments about Homebound. In a recent interview, Ghaywan clarified that Johar’s remarks were being “misquoted and misconstrued” and urged audiences to acknowledge the intent behind his statement.

“The fact that Homebound has been made, passed the censor board and got a release, the credit for it should go to him [Johar]. I first met him during the narration. He was emotional after listening to the script. After that I interacted with him only after the final cut was ready. He told me, ‘Neeraj, this is your film. Make it the way you envisioned it. He stood by me through thick and thin,” Ghaywan said.

“H heads such a big production banner, he’s such a big producer, he doesn’t need to back a film like this,” Ghaywan said. “He was fully aware that the film wouldn’t be a blockbuster or make profits for him. But the emotional aspect of the story touched him, and that’s why he chose to support it”.

Ghaywan added that it was “heartbreaking” to see Johar’s honesty being questioned.

“Misquoting and misconstruing what he said is a disrespect to his contribution to this film,” the filmmaker told Lallantop Cinema. “As independent filmmakers we must thank producers like [Johar] who support our cinema”.

During a chat with Komal Nahta on Game Changers podcast earlier this month, Johar spoke about the need to prioritise profitability in filmmaking. “Now, you have to take every decision with profitability. It is very important to be profitable. We are a commercial enterprise,” Johar said.

Referring to Homebound, he added, “I made Homebound, which was critically acclaimed worldwide, but I can’t say if I’ll take such decisions in the future or not... Growth comes from profit, and profit comes from profitability”.

The comments were widely interpreted as Johar distancing himself from riskier creative projects. Facing backlash, he issued a clarification on October 10 through an Instagram note, stating, “It was an academic chat on the business of our movies… I am and will always be exceptionally proud of Homebound. It will always shine in our repertoire of films as one of our finest and most sensitively performed and directed works”.

Produced by Johar’s Dharma Productions, Homebound premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May to a nine-minute standing ovation. Starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa, the film released in Indian theatres on September 26.

Set in a North Indian village, Homebound follows childhood friends trying to secure a government job. The film has been selected as India’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars in the Best International Feature category.