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Dharma Productions on Wednesday unveiled the first trailer for director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homeboundafter the film’s successful festival run and ahead of its theatrical release on September 26. Homebound marks Ghaywan’s second narrative feature, after the critically acclaimed Masaan, which was released a decade ago. In the interim years, the filmmaker directed episodes of shows such as Made in Heaven and Sacred Games, and directed an acclaimed short film titled Geeli Pucchi. Homebound premiered as an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, and then emerged as the second runner-up for the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The trailer introduces the film’s two protagonists, childhood best friends Mohammed Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan Kumar (Vishal Jethwa). Besides their village in Uttar Pradesh, the two also share a the same lived experiences as members of oppressed communities. The trailer shows that both characters have grand aspirations, and want nothing more than to escape their stations in society. But when they enter the workforce, they witness everyday acts of casual cruelty, based on nothing but their caste and religion.
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Homebound also features Janhvi Kapoor in a supporting role as the third member of Shoaib and Chandan’s group. Like them, she wants to make it big in life, despite the restrictions that are imposed upon women where she comes from. The movie is based on an article written for The New York Times by Kashmiri writer Basharat Peer. The article was based on a photograph of two friends, sitting on the side of the road during the early days of the pandemic in 2020. The friends were trying to make a 1500 kilometre-long journey from Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh, after being given mere hours before a nationwide lockdown. The photo showed one of them cradling the other, who had fainted because of the heat.
Watch Homebound trailer here:
The trailer doesn’t mention the pandemic or the lockdown, but a couple of shots towards the end and in the middle indicate what the movie is really about. We see a glimpse of large crowds making their way on a highway on foot, and being chased by the police with lathis, wearing masks. Most of the trailer, however, is dedicated to exploring the friendship that the two men share, and the courage that they show in persevering despite the unfortunate cards they’ve been dealt.
Produced by Karan Johar and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Homebound received widespread acclaim following its festival screenings. Ishaan and Janhvi starred together in the 2018 film Dhadak, whose recent spiritual sequel, Dhadak 2, also dealt with themes of caste oppression in India. You can watch Homebound in theatres from September 26.
