98th Academy Awards shortlisted director Neeraj Ghaywan of Homebound during ‘The Hindu MIND Series’ in New Delhi on December 20, 2025. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
“Homebound is made with the intention of honoring marginalized people and depicting a contemporary environment where microaggressions against Dalits and Muslims go unnoticed,” said filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, whose second film was shortlisted this week for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Speaking at The Hindu Mind in Delhi on Saturday (Dec 20, 2025), Mr Ghaywan said it was fitting because the film had its roots in journalist Basharat Peer’s op-ed piece for The New York Times.
The story of a Muslim and a Dalit friend, produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, explores the invisibility of disadvantaged communities against the backdrop of a pandemic in 2020 and is executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
“For many of us, reminding Chandan of his Dalit identity or reminding Shoaib of his religion may be just a joke or a harmless comment, but these microaggressions lead to life-changing decisions because they dehumanize them,” Mr. Ghaywan noted.
The filmmaker, who appeared on the scene with Masaan (2015), which won the prestigious Un Certain Regard Critics Award at Cannes, added that he also wanted to find out why migrants are leaving their homes around the world. “Why do they go to cities? Ironically, they want to be seen and heard. At the same time, they want anonymity. That’s a question we’ve stopped asking because I think we don’t care.”
As one of the few Dalit filmmakers in the country, Mr. Ghaywan, who worked in the corporate sector before switching to cinema, reflected on the larger social discourse. “Earlier untouchability was a thing that shamed people; now it’s a reservation quota. It seems to me that reservation is a privilege that has been granted – It’s not a poverty alleviation program. It’s a remedy for a 2,000-year-old injustice.”
Mr. Ghaywan said he did not expect the film to make the shortlist as it is a fairly competitive year with big masters fighting. “A small film is trying to make progress in it. I will work hard because it is about representing India. Karan is leaving no stone unturned. He is putting all his strength into it,” he said.
When asked what surprised him more — the Academy shortlist or the Film Federation of India’s endorsement of Homebound — Mr. Ghaywan pointed to the latter. He expressed gratitude for FFI’s support in making an official Indian film and said he felt encouraged and positive about the decision. “It’s a good sign.
Addressing the CBFC’s cuts to certain important scenes, Mr Ghaywan said the board had a dignified dialogue with him and while the political subtext may be “watered down a bit”, the friendship – the “soul of the film” – and what it conveys about India’s “contemporary landscape” remains intact. He added: “It couldn’t be cut because you can’t censor friendships.”
On the pre-Oscar campaign trail, Mr Ghaywan said: “No one knows the right way or the right thing. We have international campaign managers to guide us on how to proceed. I spent about a month and a half in the US and London doing screenings.” In the same vein, he underlined: “Maybe it sounds like a cliché, but I think finding a connection with the film is a bigger win than any price.”
Published – 20 Dec 2025 20:07 IST
