Underplayed Gems

Homebound (2025)

Homebound poster
Original title
होमबाउंड
Directed by
Neeraj Ghaywan
Genre
drama film
Country
India
Runtime
1h 59m
Rated
R
Rating
7.7 of 10 from 57 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

Two childhood friends in India study together to pass a tough police service exam. Their close bond is tested by the pressure and competition of their shared goal.

tenseaspirationalgroundedintimatebittersweetslow-burnsincerepoignant

What happens

Homebound is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, co-written by Ghaywan and Sumit Roy, based on a New York Times article by Basharat Peer from 2020. It explores the life of childhood friends Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa) while they attempt to pass the Indian Police Service exam. It also stars Janhvi Kapoor, Harshika Parmar, Shalini Vatsa and Chandan K Anand. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May, where it reportedly received a 9-minute standing ovation. It was theatrically released in India on 26 September to critical acclaim. The movie turned out to be a massive box-office disaster, making less than ₹5 crore, compiled on a budget of over ₹25 crore, despite highly positive critical reviews. It was selected as the Indian submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, making into the December shortlist, but it was not nominated. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.