Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound To Showcase At TIFF 2025; See Teaser Clip

Neeraj Ghaywan is once again set to represent Indian cinematic excellence, as his drama film Homebound will make its North America premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2025 in September. The film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Jahnvi Kapoor, will be screened in the Gala Presentation category. Producer Karan Johar shared the news on his social media platforms. "Extremely thrilled and elated to be a part of this prestigious festival - another time for us at Dharma," he shared on Instagram. 

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. Ghaywan described Homebound as “a deeply personal story about friendship, dignity, and survival.”

Homebound earns international acclaim

Earlier this year, Homebound was the only Indian feature film at the Cannes Film Festival, premiering in the Un Certain Regard section. The film received a 9-minute-long standing ovation after the screening, as per the latest update shared by the official X account of Dharma Productions. 

9 minutes of pure love & applause!🤌🏻
Team Homebound receiving all the appreciation at @Festival_Cannes! pic.twitter.com/QFlnw13810

— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) May 21, 2025

This was not 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.

Homebound team

Homebound is a collaboration between Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, writer Varun Grover, and producer Somesh Mishra. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese had come on board as the executive producer for Homebound, ahead of its Cannes premiere.

Speaking of the collaboration with Ghaywan, he 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."