Starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa & Janhvi Kapoor, Homebound is the second film by Masaan director Neeraj Ghaywan, who’s coming back with a feature after a 10-year gap. The film is releasing in theatres on 26th September. The film follows two childhood friends belonging to marginalised communities from a small North Indian town, who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they’ve long been denied.

The film is based on a New York Times article by Basharat Peer called Taking Amrit Home, inspired by a viral photograph during the pandemic that featured two young men. Basharat was so moved by the photograph that he decided to travel through Uttar Pradesh in search of those men. The film premiered at Un Certain Regard in Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, being one of the very few Indian films at the festival in 2025. The film received a 9-minute standing ovation at the festival, and was a festival favourite for both critics as well as cinephiles (check out the film’s letterboxd).

It was also selected at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) recently, where it emerged as the second runner-up for the TIFF People’s Choice Award, one of the most coveted award categories at the festival. While the film is produced by Dharma Productions (Karan Johar, Somen Mishra among others), it is also worth noting that Martin Scorsese is an Executive Producer on the film - a rare but important feat for an Indian film.

These accomplishments are significant, and are going to play a pivotal role in the film’s road to an Oscar nomination, and hopefully a win. And with the film finally gearing up for a theatrical release in India on 26th September, it’s crucial for us to watch it, speak about it and offer it the support that it deserves from us right now.