Name: Homebound
Genre: Drama
Released: 2025-09-26
Rating: 8.4
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, Vishal Jethwa

Two childhood friends from a small village train for the national police exam to escape life’s limitations. Their dreams strain their bond as they deal with growing desperation. 

Homebound

Bollywood Hungama

Times of India

News18

Taran Adarsh

Firstpost

HOMEBOUND is based on the article 'Taking Amrit Home' written by Basharat Peer and published in The New York Times. Basharat Peer, Neeraj Ghaywan and Sumit Roy's story, inspired by real-life events, is impactful. Neeraj Ghaywan's screenplay is extremely captivating and straight out of life. Neeraj Ghaywan, Varun Dubey and Shreedhar Dubey's dialogues are conversational yet sharp.

Neeraj Ghaywan's direction is terrific. This is a film which is in a far more realistic zone than MASAAN [2015] in terms of treatment, minimal use of background score, etc. Often, filmmakers end up making films that are too niche or don't appeal to the vast majority of the audience while depicting stark reality. Neeraj doesn’t take that route. The film strikes a fine balance where the events are depicted in a truthful and non-commercial manner and at the same time, it doesn’t get boring or abstract. The characters are quite relatable and so are their struggles. Neeraj also shows his brilliance in the dramatic and emotional scenes. The scenes at the pond are great, but two scenes that stand out are Shoaib being humiliated in the farmhouse while Chandan being discriminated against for his caste in the government office. Neeraj reserves the best for the third act. It is the best part of the film and extremely moving. The final scene is apt.

On the flipside, one gets a feeling in the first 30-35 minutes that a certain sequence has been chucked out of the final cut. One can sense when one realizes that Chandan and Sudha are dating. Moreover, the trailer consists of certain scenes, of the trio roaming around and making merry. These scenes are not a part of the film. Ideally, when a trailer has been released so close to the release, it is not fair to incorporate scenes that are not present in the final version. It amounts to misleading the audience, albeit to a small extent. Secondly, there’s no denying that discrimination exists in our society, but in some scenes, it doesn’t seem convincing. Lastly, despite an engaging narrative, HOMEBOUND is still a film for a niche audience. This can affect its box office outcome.
Ishaan Khatter has had a great body of work in a short span of time and HOMEBOUND easily ranks as his best performance to date. He has slipped into the part flawlessly and the scene where he cries, once at the Surat rooftop and the other in the climax, elevates these two key sequences to another level. Vishal Jethwa, too, puts up a terrific act; watch out for how he manages to express a lot through his expressions. Janhvi Kapoor delivers a worthy performance. However, her screen time is limited. Harshika Parmar (Vaishali; Chandan's sister) is a great find and leaves a huge mark. The same goes for Shalini Vatsa (Phool; Chandan's mother). Vijay Vikram Singh (Shoaib's top boss), Yogendra Vikram Singh (employee with a communal mindset), Shreedhar Dubey (Shoaib's immediate and kind-hearted boss) and Pankaj Dubey (Shoaib's father Hassan Ali) also do very well. Chandan K Anand (Haroon Nawaz; cop) is fair but doesn’t have much to do.
On the whole, HOMEBOUND is an unflinching portrait of caste, class, and systemic discrimination, told with sensitivity and cinematic restraint. Neeraj Ghaywan crafts a film that resonates long after it ends, thanks to its haunting final act and emotionally charged performances by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa. The Oscar buzz has amplified the film’s hype; however, given its niche nature, it will rely heavily on strong word of mouth to make a mark at the box office.

In a north Indian state, best friends Chandan Kumar (Vishal Jethwa) and Mohammed Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) see the police uniform as their only escape and a shield against the caste and religion-based bigotry they face frequently. To them, the uniform symbolizes respect, access, and a rightful place at the table.
Review: Though painfully aware of the ingrained societal hierarchy, it's their youthful zest for life, hope for a better tomorrow, and unbreakable bond that keep them going. Their persistence and optimism are tested time and again, but things reach a breaking point when a nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 separates them from their families and the place they call home.
Based on Kashmiri journalist Basharat Peer's article in The New York Times titled ‘Taking Amrit Home’, Homebound hits like a thunderbolt, unleashing a whirlwind of emotions—personal, socio-political, and, above all, deeply humane. It not only compels you to confront your own privilege but also lays bare the complex layers of gender-based disparity and the dichotomies that persist within the marginalized.
Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), born into a low-income Dalit household, hides his caste in the outside world to avoid social exclusion. Yet, despite his efforts, he remains emotionally isolated and scrutinized. At home, however, the dynamics shift. He is allowed to complete his graduation—so he doesn’t end up as a labourer like his parents. His older sister, Vaishali, isn’t given that choice. She’s expected to start supporting the family financially from an early age.
Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter), an only child, is devoted to his ailing parents. Though his talent and integrity are acknowledged, he remains singled out because of his faith. Over time, the prejudice he faces erodes his inner tenderness. Despite the odds stacked against them, Chandan and Shoaib find strength, solace, and a sense of belonging in each other. But when the pandemic hits, all hell breaks loose.
Heart-wrenching and poignant, the brilliance of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound lies in its quiet, unassuming, and unpreachy nature. With a perfectly paced two-hour runtime, the film never drags. The narrative doesn’t feel agenda-driven—it simply holds up a mirror to society, serving as a stark and stirring commentary on our growing apathy. You don’t see the storm coming—but when it hits, it shakes you to the core and leaves you numb. Yes, it’s tragic, but the characters never indulge in self-pity or despair. Long after the end credits roll, you're still seated, overwhelmed, tears rolling down your cheeks.
You no longer think of migrant workers as distant headlines, but as real people—individuals forced to leave behind their homes and families just to survive. You begin to question the system. And yourself. When did we stop feeling someone else’s pain? Most don’t get to make choices—especially when survival is at stake. The story also delves into an existential dilemma—a cycle of sacrifice, children giving up their futures for ageing parents, and parents forsaking their own needs for their children. How fair is this? Is it love, duty, or an inherited burden?
The film excels across the board—performance, storytelling, technical finesse, and dialogue. The writing by Shreedhar Dubey, Neeraj Ghaywan, and Varun Grover is deeply affecting. In one gut-wrenching moment, Chandan confesses the guilt of hiding his caste: “Sach bolte hain toh sabse dur ho jaate hain, aur jhooth bolte hain toh khud se.” (Tell the truth, and you’re alienated from the world. Tell a lie, and you're alienated from yourself.)
From sound design and lighting to cinematography, each piece elevates the story. The background score by Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor adds quiet weight. Nitin Baid’s editing, Khyatee Kanchan’s production design, Rohit Chaturvedi’s costumes, and Jogi Mallang’s inspired casting all work in perfect sync to give the film its soul.
The performances are outstanding. Ishaan Khatter delivers a career-defining performance—measured, magnetic, and mature. With a powerful screen presence and wisdom beyond his years, he firmly cements his place among the best actors of his generation. Homebound is a role he truly deserves. Vishal Jethwa is equally riveting—raw, honest, and an absolute revelation. It’s refreshing to see him embody Chandan with such restraint and depth. Shalini Vatsa, as Chandan’s mother, leaves a lasting impression with quiet grace. Janhvi Kapoor is sincere in her brief appearance.
Homebound raises many questions. How did we get here? What has made us so bereft of empathy and compassion? A soul-stirring observation of a world growing cold, this is filmmaking at its finest.

In 2015, Neeraj Ghaywan marked his feature film debut with Masaan, a poignant and poetic film that portrayed how a boy from a lower caste cannot be a part of her Brahmin lover’s world, even in mourning. Geeli Pucchi in Ajeeb Daastaans saw an interesting intersectionality between two minority groups – the Dalits and the queer community. In 2023, Neeraj followed it up with a track in Made In Heaven that spoke about an inter-caste marriage and the trivialisation of Dalit identity in urban spaces.

And once again, his voice as a Dalit finds an echo, this time in Homebound. It makes for yet another wistful, complicated and entangled identities of the scheduled caste, the Muslims and the economically deprived. This is a bold film. It questions identity, human relationships, minority aspirations, politics, injustice. It’s tear-jerking, tragic, infuriating. It’s based on Basharat Peer’s compelling opinion piece in The New York Times titled Taking Amrit Home. And that, told through Neeraj’s lens hits you right in
Homebound revolves around Mapur boys Mohammad Shoaib Ali and Chandan Kumar. Having turned down a job opportunity in Dubai, Shoaib is preparing for a police recruitment exam. With an ailing father at home, he’s the only one who can save his family from utter destitution. Chandan, a Dalit, belongs to a family of labourers, also struck with acute penury. After Shoaib encourages him to sit for the exam, they take a train, hoping to change their future and destiny. At the station, they meet Sudha Bharti, a Dalit girl, who also is on a journey to becoming an officer.

However, things don’t go as planned. Shoaib is forced to take up a job as an office boy, where he’s constantly picked on by his Islamophobic senior. He refuses to drink water served by Shaoib. And when he finally finds himself landing a job in the sales team of the same company, the mockery gets unbearable. The senior’s hypocrisy also leads to ask him to submit ID proofs and police NOCs. And during an India-Pakistan match, things take a bitter turn and unable to tolerate any more disrespect, Shoaib resigns.
Life isn’t easy for Chandan either. When Sudha asks him his name, he hesitates. Afraid of how his identity can ruffle feathers, he chooses to just go by ‘Chandan Kumar’ omitting his ‘Valmiki’ surname. So petrified he is of consequences that he ticks the general category box, be it in his college admission form or his police recruitment form. Tired of waiting for the results of the exam, Chandan moves to Surat and starts working at a clothing mill where Shoaib also joins him.

But soon, Covid hits the nation. What follows is ostracisation and discrimination due to which they’re unable to go back home. In a scene, Shoaib gets mercilessly beaten up by cops for being a super-spreader (remember the Tablighi Jamat row?). And so, when they try escaping the second time, Chandan tells him to go by a Hindu name. Some of the scenes in Homebound are searing. When Chandan and Shoaib struggle to find work, they get so frustrated that their identities start driving a wedge between them. But that’s only temporary.
In a society deeply affected and wrecked by prejudices, these Juno’s swans rise and set an example without making a big deal about it. Their friendship and brotherhood stemming from deep love and perhaps even their common plight percolated through generations shine bright. And that will keep reminding you of that heart-wrenching photograph from The New York Times where Mohammad Saiyub carried Amrit Kumar on his back and another with Saiyub sitting next to a dying Amrit.

At 2 hour 2 minutes, Neeraj makes sure that you’re don’t look away from the screen. The narrative grips you so strongly and evokes such pathos that you truly become a part of this heart-rending world from which there’s no escape. The use of pauses, silences and the lack of background scores for the most part adds to the suppressed rage and melancholy. But don’t be mistaken. Here, there’s no contrived attempt to make you cry. It simply lays bare a fractured system that may officially reserve a quota for them but makes sure that they remain untouchables.
The film is packed with moments that will tug at your heart-strings, sometimes making you misty-eyed and sometimes sob. In a scene, Chandan’s mother who works at a primary school as a mid-day meal cook is affronted and expelled for polluting the food. Later, she’s seen quietly sitting in her room fixedly looking at a photograph of BR Ambedkar. And in a key scene towards the end when Shoaib has to look for Chandan’s documents inside an ambulance, he finds a picture of Ambedkar in his wallet.

But what remains the most memorable vignette is that of a lost Shoaib holding an ailing Chandan in his arms in the middle of nowhere. He begs, prays, gets angry, jokes and sweet talks him to wake up. And it’s heart-breaking. But regardless of the grimness, Neeraj infuses some beautiful moments of impish joy between the friends – Chandan sneaking into Shoaib’s humble home to devour on some biriyani on Eid or squabbling to secure a jar of his mother’s pickles from being gorged on by his colleagues at the mill.

Homebound’s beauty lies in Neeraj’s uninhibited voice and audacious storytelling. And this stirring narrative is further elevated by superlative performances by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa and their natural camaraderie. Mellowed and subtle, they give it their all and emerge as two of the best performers of the year. The fiery eloquence in Vishal’s eyes and quiet wrath in Ishaan’s render a lot of substance and layer to the film’s most silent scenes. They render elements of playfulness first, fear sometimes and helplessness later to the narrative with conviction and effortlessness.

Janhvi Kapoor as Sudha is good but inconsistent in parts. Her intonations are spot-on at times but they miss the mark at others. And while her Sudha belongs to a well to do lower caste family, the urban girl in her sometimes comes to the fore, giving her and Chandan’s equation are a very inter-caste dynamic, when it’s not. But the film completely belongs to the boys who do all the heavy-lifting. And thankfully, this is no sanitised version of a story of oppression as Neeraj perfectly captures the messiness of destitution.

Apart from the politics, Homebound flies because of its portrayal of friendship and hope, which are both fragile and sustaining, and grief. Watch it for Ishaan and Vishal, but most importantly, Neeraj. Once again, he pins minority identities in ways that are lived, layered, political and deeply humane. And what’s refreshing is that here’s a filmmaker who doesn’t just reduce marginalised lives to suffering but shows their humour, love and dreams too. In his world, oppression isn’t always a violent flashpoint. And that makes Homebound cinematically rich and a must watch.


#NeerajGhaywan – the acclaimed director of #Masaan – delivers yet another gem with #Homebound… A powerful story, told with heart, that leaves an unforgettable impression. #HomeboundReview

#Homebound is #India's official entry for the #Oscars2026… A deserving choice that merits global recognition.

What works hugely in its favour is the razor-sharp writing… Every twist catches you off guard, every conflict feels organic, and the emotional undercurrents leave a lump in your throat… The balance between high-voltage drama and tender, vulnerable moments is exquisite.

#NeerajGhaywan deserves brownie points… He extracts flawless performances, keeps the narrative edgy, and ensures the tension never dips… Cinematography, background score, and editing – the craft is at par with the best.

#IshaanKhatter delivers his career-best act… His intensity, vulnerability, and emotional outbursts are extraordinary… A performance that merits the highest praise.

#VishalJethwa is terrific… A bundle of raw energy and controlled aggression, he brings unpredictability to every frame… Simply outstanding.

#JanhviKapoor surprises in a deglam avatar… A restrained, heartfelt act that showcases her range as an actor.

The supporting cast – each one of them – is top-notch.

Final word: #Homebound is unmissable!

Neeraj Ghaywan’s directorial Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, needs to be celebrated for its brilliant craftsmanship. The true story behind Neeraj’s Homebound is inspired by a pandemic-era New York Times essay. He handled this delicate subject with utmost honesty, sensitivity and responsibility. If you have keenly observed Neeraj’s filmography, you will be able to make out his profound interest in the human condition, the socio-political dynamics and casteism in India, and Homebound is no exception.
This film finds its roots in a poignant real-life story first told in a New York Times op-ed during India’s COVID-19 lockdown, which is based on the friendship of the two boys, Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan ( Vishal Jethwa). It’s a film that chronicles the struggles and sorrows of two young adults, their shattered and unfulfilled dreams, caste differences, and undying passion for what they aspire to achieve.
_Homebound_ throws light on the lives of Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter), a Muslim, and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), a Dalit, and how they aspire to be police trainees and how destiny shackles their spirit. Set in a small North Indian village, both the boys have their set of struggles in society, and they are real. Things don’t get better for them even when they move to a town, and both of them are seen swallowing humiliation because they belong to a certain caste and faith.
Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter), a Muslim boy, is seen to be humiliated even at his workplace, where a bunch of educated men try to put him down and refuse to take a glass of water from him. He is made fun of, and yet he refuses to go to Dubai, where he has already been offered a job by his father’s friend. He loves his country, but some men in his office are always there to question his honesty and credibility because of his faith.

Homebound shows that life is no better for Chandan (Vishal Jethwa) either. He keeps hiding his surname in the fear that people are going to treat him with disrespect. He refuses to fill up the SC/ST section too for quotas in various government services that he applies for.

When both Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa) migrate to a town to take up a daily labourer’s job, they are able to earn the money and send it back home. When things just start getting better, COVID hits and life takes a cruel turn. COVD didn’t spare anybody. But the worst affected were the migrant labourers. While the urban, educated Indians were fortunate to stay safe at home, their journey was very different.

In March 2020, when lockdown was enforced in India, all factories were shut, these two migrant workers, who were sharing rented accommodation with very little savings, didn’t know how they would reach home. But they were no longer in a position to pay the rent as well. They were just surviving on rice mixed with salt. In the film, Chandan is seen telling his friend, Shoaib, that in his dream he can only see biryani and how he is craving it. He mentions to Shoaib that once he reaches home, that is the first dish that he is going to pounce on.
The precious lesson that you will carry back home from this film is that friendships are hard-earned and they are real and that strong comradeship doesn’t believe in caste, creed, or colour. Both Shoaib and Chandan are each other’s support system.  Every expression of both Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa are so natural that you can feel each and every breath and every drop of tear rolling down their cheeks. The camerawork of the film is brilliant.  Homebound makes us believe that a message can also be delivered without making noise.
The way Neeraj Ghaywan has handled the subject, I don’t think anybody else could have done it any better. It is only Neeraj who could have done this film, because he himself never shied away from his Dalit identity. He could bring out each and every scene with honesty because he has lived this life and can empathise with it. No wonder, he once said, “I wanted to call out my own self through this film.” This is what makes the film sharply personal. Homebound is not just a sensitive portrayal of casteism and faith, but it is also a technically exceptional film!

Ishaan Khatter is a Bollywood actor. He began his acting career as a child artist with the movie Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! which released in 2005. In 2018, he made his big screen debut with Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds. Ishaan is the brother of Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor. He is also a trained dancer from Shiamak Davar's dance academy.

Ishaan Khatter

Janhvi Kapoor is the daughter of legendary actress Sridevi and famous producer Boney Kapoor. Her debut movie is Dhadak directed by Shashank Khaitan.

Janhvi Kapoor

Vishal Jethwa is an Indian television and film actor. He is known for portraying Akbar on Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap which aired on Sony TV, and Sunny in the Bollywood film Mardaani 2.

Homebound(2025)