Neeraj Ghaywan shares Homebound was inspired by powerful pandemic-era true story

India Today

02-06-2025

After a whirlwind premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, director Neeraj Ghaywan thanked the entire team of 'Homebound' for their efforts and hard work behind the project.In a heartfelt and layered post, Ghaywan not only celebrates the success of 'Homebound' but also turned the spotlight on the incredible team behind it, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the film's creation.advertisementHe even described what went behind conceptualising the idea and how did he land up writing the entire film.
In a series of posts on X, he wrote, 'It all began with the article 'Taking Amrit Home" that Basharat Peer wrote for the New York Times. After introducing me to it, Somen Mishra. (Producer) pitched the idea of me directing the film to Basharat and he was excited by the prospect.
Something inside of me cried out to make the story come to life as I read it. I travelled with Basharat to meet the families featured in the article. I was even more sure I wanted to pursue this story after meeting them. It made me reflect on my own life and I seeded that in the story. Basharat, without your article and your guidance, the Homebound journey would never have begun. I'm grateful to you (sic).'advertisementFollowing this, the director discussed that the tough part came when he had to craft a full-length feature screenplay.Ghaywan, celebrated for his directorial prowess, confessed, 'Writing an entire feature film by myself was a difficult undertaking for me. Sumit Roy arrived as a rescuer. Although he is credited as a story and screenplay consultant, his contribution goes beyond that. His mere presence helped me wade through a dark phase and shake off the self-doubt. For nearly three years he has been an integral part of the story and guided me on the screenplay. Sumit, you are an indispensable part of Homebound (sic).'
He even acknowledged Shoaib Nazeer's assistance for the project. 'During our writing phase, Shoaib Nazeer assisted us. Not only did he bring valuable research but also specific cultural insights to the screenplay. Thank you, Shoaib, for being the bouncing board (sic),' he added.The director even thanked Martin Scorsese for getting associated with the project. 'His feedback on the screenplay that you shared with us was genuinely useful in bringing a sharper focus (sic)' he wrote.
The film was written by Neeraj Ghaywan and Sumit Roy. It is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with support from co-producers Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan du Plantier. In a huge boost, legendary Hollywood director Martin Scorsese has joined the project as executive producer.Neeraj Ghaywan is already known internationally for his debut film 'Masaan', which also premiered at Cannes and won two big awards there.