Director Neeraj Ghaywan on ‘Homebound,’ India’s Oscar-Shortlisted Entry: ‘It’s About Telling Stories of People Unseen by Power’

During the Variety Streaming Room presented by Dharma Productions, director Neeraj Ghaywan discussed the origins and production of “Homebound,” India’s Oscar-shortlisted international feature executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

The film is inspired by a New York Times op-ed by Basharat Peer and tells the true story of two marginalized young men in India, one who is Muslim and one Dalit. They leave their North Indian village to pursue government jobs in nearby cities, their journey highlighting the realities of contemporary India. “When we speak of people from marginalized communities, we often speak of them in statistics,” Ghaywan told Variety’s chief awards editor Clayton Davis. “There’s a need to humanize their experience.”

Ghaywan, who is Dalit, said the film draws from his own life, including years spent concealing his caste identity. Making “Homebound,” he said, was a way to reject the shame attached to that experience. “That shame is not mine to carry,” Ghaywan said, adding that the film centers on empathy across religious, ideological and social differences at a time of growing polarization.

Bringing that experience to the screen required intensive work with the film’s young leads, Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa. The actors participated in a two months of workshops and lived in North Indian villages to immerse themselves in the characters’ realities. “Great craft is not enough,” he said. “You have to understand the philosophy, the politics and the lived experience of the people you represent.”  Ghaywan encouraged the actors to bond off-screen as well, having them share personal stories and vulnerabilities to strengthen the friendship central to the film.

That depth of preparation proved essential for the film’s most challenging sequence, an emotionally intense bridge scene that Ghaywan says was the hardest to shoot. Khatter’s performance, in which his character yells into the horizon and loses his voice, was “a genuinely spiritual experience” that ultimately shapes the edit.

As the film’s awards attention grows, Ghaywan said representing India carries significant responsibility. “It’s not about expectations,” he said. “It’s about telling stories of people who are unseen by power.” He added that he hopes audiences walk away from the film with empathy. “That’s the only way for us to move forward.”