Homebound Review: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor’s Film Is Unmissable!
Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound is an Oscar-nominated film that is currently running in theatres. Read our review here.
5 / 5
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound is what we call Cinema! The film has been nominated for the Oscar and is every bit deserving. It stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. The film is based on real-life events and is about two friends who dream of having a job that will give them respect, position, and power in society. The film deserved our attention not just because it tells us an important story, or highlights many ill-practices that are still prevalent in society, but also because Homebound is deeply human! It’s clearly my favourite Hindi film so far! Read my thoughts.
Plot
Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan Kumar (Vishal Jethwa) are two friends who want to become a cop, solely because they want the power and position that comes with this job. However, these dreams are not easy for them to achieve. During the exam, they also meet Sudha Bharti (Janhvi Kapoor), a young woman who shares similar dreams like the two boys but she also firmly believes that only education can be the rights means to achieve power. Shoaib and Chandan wait for the results, , Homebound shift its focus to tells us the societal struggles that the duo face- from casual racism, caste-based discrimination, hardships of poverty, burden of dreams. Post-interval, the struggles of the migrant workers during the COVID lockdown also becomes the basic premise of the film, and how the friends deal in these hard-times.
Performances
Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa’s performances will stay with us for very long. The two actors share the best camaraderie on-screen, and their earnest performances is deeply moving in every single frame. Homebound is at its core a very serious, hard-hitting film but what makes it more impactful, are the tender, happy moments that Shoaib and Chandan find even during the harshest of times. Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa ease into their characters and are one with them.
Vishal Jethwa brings out the vulnerability of Chandan, a guy who fears to accept his real identity with so much nuance. While Ishaan Khatter as Shoaib is the more daring one in the duo. The balance each other, and become each other’s strength when it matters the most. We keep rooting for the two, I kept wishing that they just make it through the hard times of life together. It’s the phenomenal job by the actors that made me also connect so deeply with their stories and put myself in their shoes, feel their reality. Simply the power of great acting!
Special mention to Shalini Vatsa, the actor who plays Chandan’s mother in the film. A brilliant actor would be an understatement for her. There is a particular scene in the film where the actor stands out. I was completely speechless in this moment.
Janhvi Kapoor has done a decent job as Sudha Bharti. Her acting is toned-down, balanced and perfect for what the character demands. Every actor in Homebound has given a memorable performance.
Also Read: Ishaan Khatter Joins David Beckham, SEVENTEEN’s S.Coups At Milan Fashion Week. Fans Lose It!
Neeraj Ghaywan yet again proved why we love his films and his storytelling so much! The raw, gritty and profoundly human approach of storytelling makes us connect so deeply with the films, and Homebound is no exception. There are some shots in the film that are subtle but so effective. Not everything is told to us, the director trusts his audiece! He uses metaphors, silence, cries to convey an emotion that even words would never do justice to!
Verdict: It’s Unmissable!
Homebound is a film that will make you laugh even in the darkest moments but will also make you cry a river with its honestly story, and performance. The actors have left no stones unturned to give us an on-screen experience that will haunt us for long. Homebound is a film that should not be missed. It’s currently running in theatres.
First Published: September 26, 2025 6:44 PM
