Homebound (2025) [Movie Review] — A haunting reflection on apathy and the hunger for respect

Neeraj Ghaywan’s restrained drama Homebound is about friendship, identity, and the human cost of lockdown.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Story — Two boys, one uniform, and a nation on pause

From hope to heartbreak

Homebound follows best friends Chandan and Shoaib, who see the police uniform as a route out of caste- and religion-based exclusion — a symbol of dignity, security, and acceptance. Set against the rupture of the Covid-19 lockdown, the film turns reports of migrant distress into an intimate, lived experience. Inspired by Basharat Peer’s reporting, the screenplay keeps its focus tight: small daily compromises, family obligations, and the slow erosion of trust that arrives when survival becomes the only choice.

Performances — Nuanced, measured, unforgettable

Actors who earn every beat

Ishaan Khatter gives a quietly seismic performance — controlled, emotionally complex, and career-defining. Vishal Jethwa is a revelation as Chandan: raw but restrained, he conveys humiliation and fierce tenderness without showiness. Supporting turns, especially Shalini Vatsa as Chandan’s mother, add layers of domestic truth. Janhvi Kapoor appears briefly but with sincerity that complements the leads rather than distracts.

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Direction & Writing — Unpreachy and precise

A mirror, not a manifesto

Neeraj Ghaywan directs with admirable restraint. The script by Shreedhar Dubey, Ghaywan, and Varun Grover resists melodrama; it concentrates on lived details and moral friction rather than slogan-heavy statements. The film’s power lies in its refusal to sermonize — it simply stages believable people in impossible situations and lets us feel the consequences.

Technical craft — Subtle design that amplifies emotion

Sound, light, and edit work in harmony

Technically, Homebound is exemplary. The cinematography frames cramped homes and empty roads with equal empathy. The understated score (Naren Chandavarkar & Benedict Taylor) and layered sound design give the film emotional heft without ever steering the audience. Editing by Nitin Baid maintains a careful pace — the two-hour runtime feels economical and focused. Production design and costumes reinforce authenticity throughout.

Why it matters — A film that asks uncomfortable questions

Empathy as the film’s true subject

Homebound forces the viewer to translate headlines into faces. It interrogates why society tolerates indifference and how systems compel people to choose between survival and dignity. The film’s tragedy never lapses into self-pity; its characters retain agency and complexity to the end.

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Verdict — A soul-stirring, necessary watch

4 out of 5

Homebound is compassionate filmmaking at its finest: unflashy, devastating, and humane. With standout performances and meticulous craft, it lingers long after the credits — and makes you reconsider who we notice when the world falls apart.