Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, produced by Karan Johar, which was screened at the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, was on Sunday declared the second-runner-up in the International People’s Choice category.
The film about two friends from the lower echelons trying to make their way home on foot during the Covid pandemic has brought immense glory to Indian cinema the world over. The two protagonists are played by Ishaan Khattar and Vishal Jethwa. The film’s volatile content is expected to raise several pertinent issues on the role of our conscience during trying times.
Speaking of his triumph at Toronto, Ghaywan says, “After I directed Masaan in 2015, I received many scripts from studios, but I often stood in my own way. I was searching for something where my identity and my work could merge—something that truly challenges me and resonates deeply with my values and my search for meaning in an increasingly disoriented world.”
As a Dalit, Neeraj Ghaywan has experienced some of the hurt and humiliation of his Dalit protagonist in Homebound. “As I shot Homebound, memories from my childhood surfaced: like seeing my father pouring water on the cement of the first house we built. There is a similar moment in Homebound. Maybe that’s why it seeped into the film. So much of who we are and how we grow up makes its way into our work, often without us realising it. It lives in the subconscious, and somehow, it finds its way onto the screen. So yes, it was a deeply moving experience—one I’ll carry with me.”
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