Cannes 2025: An Inspiring Story of Friends in ‘Homebound’ from India
by Alex Billington
May 26, 2025
The prestigious Cannes Film Festival is a fest full of discoveries of all kinds, from all different places. Stories that move us and wake us up to the world are presented in every section. It’s also my duty to highlight films that deserve extra attention, that stand out amongst the crowd as riveting works of cinema that connect with audiences. Especially films like this one that have an ability to reach anyone anywhere, with a heartbreaking universal story about friendship in a broken society. Homebound is the latest film from Indian filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, making his second feature film following Masaan in 2015. This new one just premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the main festival and is one of the highlights from this section, even though there are always many excellent films to watch. Homebound is a powerful film in many ways, packed with emotion but also driven by the hope that you can create change and you can make a difference. Simply by existing and persevering, by pushing back against prejudice at every chance, by dreaming big and never letting go of those dreams, maybe it is really possible, maybe with time you can make a difference in society.
Homebound is both written and directed by filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, which is inspired by the true story in the article titled “A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway,” written by Basharat Peer in 2020 for the NY Times (read here). Two childhood friends from a small North Indian village chase a police constable job that promises them the dignity they’ve long been denied. But as they inch ever closer to their dream, encountering setbacks and other troubles, mounting desperation threatens the bond that holds them together. The film stars two acclaimed Bollywood actors Ishaan Khatter as Sohaib and Vishal Jethwa as Chandan, one is from the untouchables caste in India, the other is a Muslim, both wishing for better lives than what they have. The film plays out like a sprawling social realism epic that follows Sohaib & Chandan across years, showing as they get frustrated with each other and part ways, only to return as the power of friendship is what has kept them going & will keep them going looking forward day after day. It’s a grueling story envisioned with such lovely warmth and a wholesome vibe, it’s hard to not be swept off your feet by it.
At times the film does shift into becoming a bit cheesy and melodramatic, playing up their friendship drama a bit too much with slightly unrealistic fights. But it never crosses any lines nor does it veer away from the emotional core of the story – staying true to what it’s trying to say and making sure their story of struggling matters. I was deeply moved by Homebound – there’s great power in this kinda of drama, complemented by a soaring score by composers Naren Chandavarkar & Benedict Taylor. Even if I’m not enduring these kind of struggles myself, I’m still feeling their sadness and their frustration as they deal with a society that is too stubborn to change. Of course it’s unlikely this film will change all of India or stop any of the prejudice depicted in it, but telling the stories of Sohaib & Chandan can possibly open up the hearts & minds of many people. The film shows us that everyone deserves a shot no matter who they are – of course we may know this already, but reminders are important. A cinematic tale about how anyone can succeed, anyone should be allowed to have dreams, and most importantly, everyone deserves a better life. Above all, Homebound is a shining example of how friendship truly makes the world especially beautiful and brings us all together.
Alex’s Cannes 2025 Rating: 7.5 out of 10
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