Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound', which was met with a warm reception at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), has finally a theatrical release date for India. The Karan Johar production will be arriving on Sept. 26.
Featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles, 'Homebound' follows the life story of two childhood friends, Shoaib Ali and Chandan Kumar, who decide to become police officers, motivated by their strong desire for respect and dignity. The film marks the second full-length feature by Neeraj Ghaywan after his 2015 directorial debut 'Masaan'.
Like 'Masaan', 'Homebound' was selected to be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section earlier this year. The film got a nine-minute standing ovation from the audience, prompting an emotional response from the cast and crew. Its global impact was underscored when filmmaking legend Martin Scorsese jumped on board as an executive producer for the film. “Neeraj has made a beautifully crafted film that’s a significant contribution to Indian cinema,” he said.
In an earlier statement endorsing the film, Scorsese mentioned that he saw 'Masaan' in 2015 and loved it and that when Mélita Toscan du Plantier notified him of Neeraj's second film, he got curious. "I loved the story and 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,” he added.
In response, Ghaywan wrote that he was honoured to see the iconic filmmaker attach his name to his film and offered helpful, valuable inputs. “Mr. Scorsese mentored us through the screenplay and multiple rounds of editing. He listened with care, understood the cultural context, and offered thoughtful, incisive notes each time. His kindness and commitment are extraordinary, and to have him nurture our film has been both a rare privilege and a profoundly humbling experience.”
This is not the first time Scorsese has shown his support for Indian cinema. He was in the past instrumental in restoring Indian film classics such as Girish Kasaravalli's Ghatashraddha (1977) and Malayalam filmmaker G Aravindan's Kummatty (1979) through The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project.