The only Indian feature film at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section. The film has received a 9-minute-long standing ovation after its premiere, as per the latest update shared by the official X account of Dharma Productions. Karan Johar, who has backed the film, was seen hugging director Neeraj Ghaywan. The filmmaker, visibly emotional, was seen alongside actors Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa.
In an exciting development, legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese had come on board as the executive producer for Homebound, ahead of its Cannes premiere.
Speaking about his collaboration with Ghaywan, Scorsese shared, “I have seen Neeraj’s first film Masaan in 2015 and I loved it, so when Mélita Toscan du Plantier sent me the project of his second film, I was curious. I loved the story, the culture and was willing to help. Neeraj has made a beautifully crafted film that’s a significant contribution to Indian cinema. I am glad the movie is an official selection at Un Certain Regard in Cannes this year.”
This isn’t Neeraj’s first moment of glory at Cannes. His debut film Masaan, starring Vicky Kaushal and Richa Chadha, also premiered at the festival and went on to win both the Un Certain Regard Special Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize.
Neeraj Ghaywan Returns to Cannes With Homebound, All You Need to Know
Homebound is a collaboration between Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, writer Varun Grover, and producer Somesh Mishra. The announcement was shared by Dharma Productions in a celebratory post across social media platforms.
The post read, “A moment where Indian cinema takes over the world. We are honoured to announce that #Homebound has made its way to the official selection at the 78th edition of the Festival De Cannes in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category. Our hearts are full and we can’t wait to show you all this journey on the big screens.”
About Homebound
Homebound follows the story of two childhood friends from a small village in North India who dream of becoming police officers. As they get closer to securing the job that could change their lives, their bond begins to unravel under the weight of desperation
Homebound will be part of a diverse and exciting lineup in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category this year. The section is known for highlighting bold storytelling and unique voices in cinema. Other films selected alongside Homebound include Eleanor the Great—the directorial debut of Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Chilean filmmaker Diego Céspedes, My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr., and Urchin by Harris Dickinson.
Last year, the Cannes Film Festival featured several notable Indian names. The Shameless, directed by Bulgarian-American filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, premiered in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section and starred Indian actors Anasuya Sengupta and Omara Shetty. Anasuya made history by becoming the first Indian actor to win the Best Actress award at Cannes. Another Indian film, Santosh by Sandhya Suri and starring Shahana Goswami in the lead role, also debuted in the same category.
Over in the Main Competition section, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light had its world premiere and went on to win the Grand Prix, the second-highest award at the festival. It was later released in theatres in November and is now available for streaming on JioHotstar.
This year, the 2025 Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to run from May 13 to May 24. Renowned French actor Juliette Binoche has been announced as the jury president for the festival’s main competition.
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