National Award-winning filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound has officially been selected as India’s entry to the Oscars this year. The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in pivotal roles. In an exclusive interaction with IMDb, the Masaan director recalled the exact moment he heard the news and spoke passionately about inclusivity and Dalit representation in Indian cinema.
Sharing the story behind the big Oscars announcement, Neeraj said, “It’s actually very funny. Every time something major happens, I have this habit of calling Karan (Johar) and saying, ‘Can you sit down? I have something to tell you.’ He gets so worried every time. I remember during Cannes, when I told him we made it to the Un Certain Regard Cannes Film festival, he screamed for so long, telling his mom, telling everyone around him. The same thing happened when we got the email about the Toronto Film Festival, where we were the second runner-up for the Audience Choice Award. That meant a lot, because it sets a precedent for many big awards from there on.”
He continued, “I was in a studio, cutting the trailer of the song. I was totally engrossed in editing when Karan called me and said, ‘We’ve been shortlisted as the official entry for the Academy.’ I didn’t know how to react. I tried pretending to keep working, but I couldn’t. I was too overwhelmed.”
“Traditionally, in Hindi cinema, we’ve been telling stories that revolve around just 10–15% of the population, mostly the upper-caste population. In 100 years of cinema, we’ve largely neglected the majority of the population.”
While the film’s Oscar journey is a defining milestone, Ghaywan emphasized the need for greater inclusivity in Indian cinema. The filmmaker, who has often spoken about his Dalit identity, added, “There have been no people from Dalit or tribal communities, either in front of or behind the camera. I’m probably one of the few acknowledged members from the community. That’s a glaring problem. We have to make reparations for that.”