By Renu Mehta
Toronto
The red carpet gala screening of Homebound won over audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it premiered at Roy Thomson Hall.
Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, offers a powerful look at the collision between youthful ambition and stark social realities. Set in a northern Indian village, the film follows two close friends whose pursuit of careers in law enforcement becomes a fight for dignity and a stable future.
The lead roles are portrayed by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, with Janhvi Kapoor also starring. The trio, along with Ghaywan, received a warm ovation as they entered the auditorium.
Chandan (Jethwa), a Dalit, and Shoaib (Khatter), a Muslim, are determined to beat the odds: out of 2.5 million applicants, only 3,500 police jobs are available. Yet both young men cling to the hope that the uniform will bring them respect and security. As months pass without exam results, economic pressures intensify. Shoaib grapples with his father’s sudden disability, while Chandan dreams of building a proper home for his parents so his mother can finally rest. But caste and religious prejudice loom large, threatening not only their aspirations but also the friendship that sustains them.
Jethwa and Khatter deliver performances rich in warmth and emotional depth, anchoring the film in humanity and heart.
The cast continued to praise Ghaywan for his emotionally charged storytelling and decision to shoot the film chronologically. Khatter reflected on the experience, saying the actors were simply vessels for the director’s vision.
“I am extremely humbled to be part of this project,” said Khatter. “It is a deeply personal film in terms of what I recognize in the character and this really moved me. I think one of the things that broke me was the spirit this character carried and the spirit of the boys and their friendship through the film. I thought it was important for me to carry this spirit, push in the opposite direction and make these guys as alive as possible. And that is what I tried to work towards. I tried to show their hopes, their aspirations and bring all the elements as best as I could – the relationship, the friendship, the love and the trials and tribulations. For me it was very important to find the spirit of this character.”
When asked about the most challenging scene, Jethwa pointed to a deceptively simple moment.
“The most difficult scene was the simplest scene. It’s often what looks like simple scene is often the most difficult,” said Jethwa, who played Chandan. “There is one scene when we are checking the results of the police exam online and I pass but Shoaib does not make it. In that moment, you have to express that feeling that you are very happy, yet you are sad at the same time. So that was a difficult one. I really liked the way Ishan’s character supported me in this scene otherwise I would not have been able to do it.”
Khatter also described a pivotal scene that tested the cast and crew.
“The last moment that I shared with my friend, I think the whole film was kind of hinging on that moment. It felt very real and was very difficult,” said Khatter. “It was a complicated scene for many reasons. This is a film that was shooting against time. We had many logistical challenges because the bridge had to be emptied. There were cars passing. One had to do that scene in a two-minute window before a car came. And it was kind of difficult. Those are the things you don’t see. We did it once and felt it was almost there. Then the sun set and we had to go back the next day. That is not something a director does, but he did that. It was the most supportive set for actors that I have had the privilege of being on,” he added.
Ghaywan, visibly moved during the screening, shared the personal roots of the story.
“The major part of the country lives in villages and we don’t show these,” said Ghaywan. “Apart from that, I had a personal reason because I went back to a lot of my childhood. I grew up in a patriarchal Dalit household and carried the shame of hiding for a very long time and this was my way to exorcise those dreams, put an end to it.”
