‘Homebound’ director Neeraj Ghaywan: ‘What if we practise empathy and listen to the other side?

Neeraj Ghaywan’s directorial debut Masaan was premiered in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section in 2015. Ghaywan is back at Cannes with his second feature Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa as childhood friends who pursue a job in the police force. The Dharma Productions title also stars Janhvi Kapoor and Reem Shaikh.

Ghaywan’s adaptation of a New York Times article by Basharat Peer from 2020 was premiered on Thursday to a rousing reception. Ghaywan spoke to Scroll at Cannes a day after the premiere about how Homebound has been a cathartic experience for him – and how Martin Scorsese got involved with the film.

What were you feeling at the premiere of Homebound – joy, relief, excitement?

I have seen the film so many times I was unsure of what would happen at the premiere. In fact, I used to doze off during tech checks because I was so tired from making the film.

Strangely, I got emotional. And I was embarrassed about how I could feel so emotional watching my own film.

Other strange things happened. There’s a scene in the film in which one of the families wants to build a new house. There’s a shot of the father spraying water on the cement on the terrace. This was in my subconscious because it...

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