In 2025, we’ve been blessed with new voices (Nishaanchi, Ponman, Kennedy, April May ‘99, etc.) – some from the rising stars, others from the good-old directors that have been enlightening and entertaining us for years. And one such great pick of the year is Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound.
The film had a short but sweet run at the theatres and has been making quite a buzz at the film festivals. After catching it in the theatre first (a tearjerker experience), the second watch on Netflix felt like a sweet treat—wherein you immerse in the feel-good part of Shoaib-Chandan’s friendship as their journey slowly takes you to that shattering end!
I’m not going to delve too much into the story bit of this, precisely, it is ‘Ye Dukh Kaahe Khatam Nahi Hota’ at its peak, and an experience that can be personal/different for each one of us.
Similar to Masaan, Ghaywaan takes the subtle approach and lets his characters and their stories mirror the harsh realities of society. All this layered beautifully with the theme of friendship, with the drama anchored by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa in what would be career-defining performances.
Acting so good that it does justice to the true unfortunate story it is inspired by. Janhvi Kapoor, in a limited role, does the job right, along with the supporting characters who never let the viewers take their eyes off the screen. All performances feel so real, so good!
Pro Tip: If you haven’t heard of this movie, go tune into it without watching the trailer. The experience would be more intriguing as you’ll be unprepared (same as Shoaib and Chandan) for the journey, not knowing the new battles that lie ahead.
Homebound is a heartfelt watch, highly recommended!
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