The unforgettable Homebound
Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, is an adaptation of Basharat Peer’s New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home”. This film is the perfect successor of Masaan, another masterpiece by Ghaywan. With Martin Scorsese as an executive producer, the film transforms itself into an elegy. It is a story about two friends; Shoaib is Muslim and Chandan is Dalit. They are preparing for the police exam in hopes of earning respect and visibility through a uniform. But with every step they take, they are constantly reminded of the invisible walls of caste, faith and hierarchy that shun them.
It is set against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic and explores the overlooked struggles of ‘COVID refugees’ in India. The film sheds light on how such vulnerable citizens are caught in the tide of an incompetent government. After all, it is the proletarians that pay the heaviest price of a corrupt system.
Homebound survives on Shoiab and Chandan’s friendship. It is the heart and soul of the film and makes it unbearably painful to watch. Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter perform phenomenally — each scene and emotion acts as a reminder of the injustice in their daily lives. And in doing so, it shakes something within us.
The story is beautiful yet devastating, it lingers long after it ends. It leaves us with the realisation: if we think the system does not affect us, it is because we inherently benefit from it. It makes us question who we mourn, who we celebrate and why.
Homebound has rightfully carved out a space for itself globally as India’s official entry to Oscars and received a 9 minute standing ovation at Cannes, proving that it will not leave our hearts anytime soon.
