Martin Scorsese, the legendary director, has lauded Janhvi Kapoor's performance in Neeraj Ghaywan's upcoming film, Homebound, stating, "The actress who played it, she is so good... so good". This praise has further amplified the buzz around the film, which is already generating significant attention as it approaches its world premiere.
Homebound is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, known for his critically acclaimed debut film Masaan. The film features Janhvi Kapoor alongside Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa. Homebound follows the story of two childhood friends from a small village in North India who dream of becoming police officers, hoping the job will bring them the respect they never had. However, as they come closer to their goal, pressure and struggles create problems in their friendship.
Varun Dhawan revealed that Martin Scorsese was involved in the film as an executive producer and provided feedback during the editing process. According to Dhawan, Scorsese specifically praised Janhvi Kapoor's portrayal of her character. Janhvi Kapoor, in an interview, responded to Scorsese's appreciation with a lighthearted comment, "Yeah. I was like, jo bolna hain bole, abhi toh Martin Scorsese ne tareef kar di (Let people say whatever they want, Martin Scorsese has appreciated me now)".
Kapoor also shared her reasons for taking on the project, stating that she didn't overthink her choices and felt a strong connection to the film and a desire to work with director Neeraj Ghaywan. She described the experience of working on Homebound as cathartic and expressed her hope that the film would inspire viewers to become better people.
Neeraj Ghaywan expressed immense gratitude for Scorsese's mentorship, acknowledging it as a significant moment for Indian cinema. Ghaywan said that Scorsese mentored them through the screenplay and multiple rounds of editing and that he listened with care, understood the cultural context, and offered thoughtful, incisive notes each time.
Homebound is set to have its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra. It was shot mainly in and around Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh state in 2024. Homebound has been chosen as India's official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards.
The film has already garnered positive attention, receiving a standing ovation at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.