Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound,’ India’s official Oscar entry and a Cannes premiere, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, opened to a mere Rs 29 lakh. Despite critical acclaim calling it ‘heart-wrenching and poignant’ and overcoming censor issues, the film hopes for a box office surge from positive word-of-mouth this weekend, facing competition from ‘Jolly LLB 3’.
Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor’s ‘Homebound’ directed by Neeraj Ghaywan has not taken a not so encouraging start at the box office. The film as per Sacnilk has just Rs 29 lakh from its day 1 collection. The film which was based on Basharat Peer’s column from the The New York Times had its premiere at the Cannes film festival in May of this year. The film spoke about friendship, caste difference and the pain of migrant workers during the lockdown. It has also become India’s official entry for the Oscars this year.The film has been in the news over the past few days as the details of censor issues began pouring in from all sides. The film had to wait for three months for a screening with the Censor Board, with Bengaluru based director TS Nagabharana being roped in to head the Revising Committee screening. Despite all this , people who have gone to watch the film and the critics have praised the film and are calling it one of the best films of the year. The Times of India is it’s review called the film ‘Heart-wrenching and poignant’. It added , ‘the brilliance of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound lies in its quiet, unassuming, and unpreachy nature. With a perfectly paced two-hour runtime, the film never drags. The narrative doesn’t feel agenda-driven—it simply holds up a mirror to society, serving as a stark and stirring commentary on our growing apathy. You don’t see the storm coming—but when it hits, it shakes you to the core and leaves you numb. Yes, it’s tragic, but the characters never indulge in self-pity or despair. Long after the end credits roll, you’re still seated, overwhelmed, tears rolling down your cheeks.’It would be interesting to see the film fares from Saturday onwards as the word of mouth kicks in. The film might face competition from Akshay Kuamr and Arshad Warsi’s Jolly LLB 3 which is in its second weekend.
