Neeraj Ghaywan, the director behind the acclaimed ‘Masaan’, returned to the prestigious Cannes film festival with ‘Homebound’, and the response was nothing short of electric.

As the credits rolled at its world premiere, the theatre echoed with claps—for almost nine minutes straight.

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A nine-minute standing ovation greeted the film’s team at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. And it wasn’t just polite applause; this was raw, emotional admiration.

Videos from the event show Ghaywan visibly moved, eyes glistening, as he embraced producer Karan Johar amid the ovation.

 

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Actor Ishaan Khatter, too, couldn’t hold back tears as the crowd kept cheering.

Starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, ‘Homebound’ has already become one of the most talked-about films at Cannes this year. The story digs deep into the lives of two childhood friends from a modest North Indian village.

Their dream? A police job that promises them respect in a world that has long overlooked them. But the closer they get to that goal, the more their friendship is tested by the harsh realities of survival and ambition.

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Ghaywan described the film as “deeply personal,” focusing on the often-unseen stories of resilience and friendship. “It’s about the quiet strength people carry when the world won’t stop for them. I hope the film nudges us to pause, to look again with empathy, at what we often ignore,” he said after the screening.

Adding a global sparkle to the Indian film’s journey is Martin Scorsese, the iconic director behind ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘The Irishman’. Scorsese came on board as an executive producer and had high praise for Ghaywan’s work.

“I loved ‘Masaan’ when I first saw it. When I read the script for ‘Homebound’, I was intrigued by its world, its culture, and the emotional honesty of the story,” he shared. “Neeraj has crafted something powerful—this is an important addition to Indian cinema.”