Bollywood turned out in full force on Monday night as Hrithik Roshan, Vicky Kaushal, Tamannaah Bhatia joined Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa for the red carpet premiere of ‘Homebound’ in Mumbai. The screening came shortly after the film was officially announced as India’s entry to the 2026 Academy Awards.Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, the film tells the story of a childhood friendship between a Muslim (Khatter) and a Dalit (Jethwa) who pursue a police job that promises them the dignity long denied to them due to their surnames. The film also stars Janhvi in a pivotal role. Ahead of the film’s release this week, the makers held a grand premiere of the critically acclaimed movie.
Speaking at a press conference earlier in the day, Ghaywan said the casting of Kapoor, Khatter, and Jethwa was a deliberate decision to balance the film’s artistic core with its reach. “We had a story that we knew was powerful. If our goal was only to take the film to festivals like Cannes or TIFF, we were confident it would receive applause. But we also understood that if we wanted the movie to truly reach the audience and connect with people, we needed the support of stars. That said, no matter what, the story will always remain the real king of any film,” he said.
The filmmaker also revealed the project was based on a true story. While speaking at the press conference about the social issues tackled in the film, he said, “These two boys existed for real. When I write or direct, I have to make it my own. The idea was never to overburden it with issues; it all came organically. It is a bit dramatised from what the actual story was, but we did meet with the surviving families. We went to the village and it was heartbreaking. The actual person is now a construction worker. All of us in the film are representing an entire society.”
For the premiere, stars including Producer Karan Johar, designer Manish Malhotra, director Farah Khan, author Twinkle Khanna, actors Vicky Kaushal, Hrithik Roshan, Tamannaah, Richa Chadha, and many others attended the premiere and posed for photos on the red carpet.
For the cast, the film proved to be a deeply personal journey. Ishaan, who was also present at the press conference, said working on the film reshaped his understanding of responsibility as an artist. “Any scene can be challenging, but for the first time in my career, the scene that looked the most difficult on paper was the one that was the most difficult to perform. On Neeraj’s set, everything supports the actor. He also uses music, which is the biggest boon for me,” the actor said.Vishal Jethwa, meanwhile, spoke about how the film helped him embrace his true identity while also confronting societal prejudices. He explained, “In India, those who don’t know how to speak English face this challenge. We feel left out when put on the spot, because people judge you by your class. If you can speak English well, you belong to a certain class. If you speak in Hindi, you’re looked at differently, even though you may be equally talented or deserving.”‘Homebound’, which releases in Indian cinemas this weekend, will also be in the running to score an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film category. Go to Source
