Neeraj Ghaywan’s sophomore feature, Homebound, is garnering praise from across the globe following its premiere at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival in France.
The only Indian feature to screen at the 78th edition of the annual festival, Homebound premiered in the Un Certain Regard section on Wednesday and received a thunderous nine-minute standing ovation. It stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Jahnvi Kapoor in key roles.
Matt Neglia, editor-in-chief of Next Best Picture, described the film as “a beautifully told story about the friendship between two young men striving to become police officers in modern-day India, hoping to build better lives for themselves & their families.”
He further praised the emotional resonance of the performances, saying, “The performances from Vishal Jethwa, and particularly Ishaan Khatter, are deeply affecting, eliciting more than a few tears in the emotional final act.”
Ghaywan made his Cannes debut ten years ago, with his debut film Masaan bagging two awards at the festival. His latest film follows two childhood friends from a small North Indian village who dream of becoming police officers. As per the film’s official synopsis, their pursuit of a better life becomes a test of friendship as desperation looms large.
Writing for Variety, film critic Sidhant Adlakha lauded Homebound as an “excellent” film. “The most riveting turns in Homebound are distinctly personal. But given the movie’s careful construction, they radiate outwards and latch on to systemic failings with a sense of righteousness. It’s a film of great tragedy, but one so rooted in beating humanity that you can’t help but be left furious, in addition to teary-eyed.”
Elizabeth Kerr of Screen Daily echoed the praise, describing Homebound as a potential breakout title. “Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound spans a few harrowing and tragic years in the lives of Muslim and scheduled caste (formerly ‘dalit’ or ‘untouchable’) friends, and paints a vivid portrait of the struggle faced by India’s invisible population to conduct a dignified and joyful existence,” she wrote.
Homebound is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier serving as co-producers.
“Like Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed from a few years ago, Homebound too wants to grab you by the collar, and ensure you don’t forget the tragedy of the exodus, the likes of which weren’t seen anywhere else in the world. Unlike Bheed, though, the film doesn’t want to be an active call to action, deliberately staying a few steps away from calling out the people responsible,” film critic Sucharita Tyagi posted on her blog.