2025, a 12 months that permit Bollywood gems like Homebound, Jugnuma, Dhadak 2, Sitaare Zameen Par, Ghich Pich, Phule and Superboys of Malegaon go largely unrecognised, could also be ending quickly, however the influence on those that actually discover is simple.
At a time when shiny escapism dominates the field workplace, a sobering reminder like Homebound dangers being ignored. The movie with realities many choose to look away from is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and impressed by Basharat Peer’s essay ‘A Friendship, a Pandemic & a Loss of life Beside the Freeway’. It tells the story of two associates, Chandan (a Dalit) and Shoaib (a Muslim), who dream of respect, dignity and stability however are solely challenged by caste hierarchies, spiritual prejudice and bureaucratic apathy.
The movie’s power is in its authenticity. Ghaywan would not scale back the protagonists to symbols; he treats them as full human beings, flawed, hopeful, scared and decided. Their struggles to move the nationwide police examination, to construct a roof for dwelling, to easily breathe with dignity one way or the other develop into yours. The movie additionally highlights invisible difficulties, which are usually so as a result of society prefers them too, in a delicate however impactful means for the message to be clear however not essentially loud.
However what the movie actually does is make you grateful and tearful on the identical time. One would shed tears for anybody and everybody who noticed the wrath of instances throughout the 2020 migrant disaster and be glad about having meals on the desk and a roof over their heads. Homebound can be important for Indian cinema, because it exhibits a real aspect, an actual world, and magnifies the cracks in society with out ever turning into preachy.
But for all its energy, message and classes, Homebound, India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025, yearns for theatrical audiences whereas being ignored in cinemas, partly due to India’s urge for food for leisure over introspection. Movies that confront caste, class, loss, or faith in something however the mildest phrases usually battle to succeed in broad audiences. The promotional equipment (even from huge manufacturing homes) tends to favour spectacle over subtlety. Critics reward Homebound, and festivals honour it, but it surely dangers being pigeonholed as ‘art-house’ quite than embraced as important viewing.
Another excuse, in response to me, is discomfort. Homebound forces viewers to confront injustices many reside with every day, issues which are usually swept underneath the rug. It reminds us that progress is not nearly huge speeches or grand gestures however about small recognitions of ache, of inequality, of friendships torn by circumstances past one’s management. Movies like these do not permit us to stay passive.
Lastly, the timing issues. As India enters its post-pandemic section, there’s a hazard of collective amnesia about what so many endured: the migrant exodus, the financial precarity and the lived racial, spiritual and caste divides. Homebound provides not only a mirror but additionally a warning: ignore these truths at your peril. A society that forgets its wounds can’t heal them.
Disclaimer: These are the non-public opinions or views of the creator.
Additionally Learn: Homebound Film Assessment: A pandemic, a friendship and a nation’s conscience – Neeraj Ghaywan’s movie delivers all