“Homebound is made with the intention to honour the marginalised people and depict the current environment where microaggressions against Dalits and Muslims go unnoticed,” said filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, whose sophomore film made it to the 98th Academy Awards shortlist this week in the Best International Feature Film category. Speaking at The Hindu Mind in Delhi on Saturday (December 20, 2025), Mr. Ghaywan said it was fitting because the film had its roots in an op-ed piece by journalist Basharat Peer for The New York Times.
Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the story of a Muslim and a Dalit friend explores the invisibilisation of deprived communities against the backdrop of the 2020 pandemic, and has Martin Scorsese as the executive producer.
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“For many of us, Chandan being reminded of his Dalit identity or Shoaib being reminded of his religion could be just a joke or an innocuous comment, but these microaggressions lead to decisions that alter their life because they dehumanise them, noted Mr. Ghaywan.
The filmmaker who emerged on the scene with Masaan (2015), which won the prestigious critics prize in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes, added that he also wanted to find out why migrants leave their homes across the world. “Why do they go to the cities? It is ironic that they want to be seen and heard. At the same time, they want anonymity. It is a question that we have stopped asking because I think it doesn’t matter to us.”
