Ten years after his debut Masaan was screened at Cannes, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan made his comeback to Festival de Cannes, with his second feature, Homebound. It had its world premiere at the Debussy Theatre, on Wednesday, May 21, at the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes 2025.
The screening was attended by Neeraj Ghaywan, producers Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra, and the cast- Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor.
Homebound was met with enthusiastic applause, and it received a 9-minute long standing ovation from the audience, with Ghaywan and Johar visibly moved and tearing up. The team shared an emotional hug as the claps continued.
Dharma Productions, sharing the video on X, wrote, “9 minutes of pure love & applause! Team 'Homebound' receiving all the appreciation at @Festival_Cannes!”
As reported by PTI, Khatter said it has been a pleasure to work with a filmmaker like Ghaywan. “He is somebody I have loved and admired for many years… It’s an honest and sincere effort of making a film with a human beating heart. I hope all of you enjoy it. I hope the film speaks for itself,” he added.
Jethwa said Homebound feels like a step forward for all of them. He feels happy that they're representing India with the film and added, "None of this would’ve been possible without your support, so thank you so much. I’m proud to be standing here and share the stage alongside these amazing actors and our director".
About Homebound
Apart from directing, Ghaywan has also written it with Sumit Roy. It is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan du Plantier serving as the co-producers. Hollywood's legendary director Martin Scorsese is the executive producer of the film.
The official synopsis of the film reads: "Two childhood friends from a small North Indian village chase a police job that promises them the dignity they’ve long been denied. But as they inch closer to their dream, mounting desperation threatens the bond that holds them together."
