After making headlines at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Dharma Productions has finally released the trailer for Neeraj Ghaywan’s acclaimed film, Homebound, for Indian audiences on September 17, 2025. The film, which premiered at Cannes and won at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a moving tale which has left viewers in tears with its trailer alone. Let us take a look at the tale of two friends as they struggle against casteism and communal discrimination while pursuing their dream of becoming policemen.
Homebound moves the viewers to tears
The trailer for Homebound was released by Dharma Productions, following the story of two friends in rural India. The two pals, ‘Mohammad Shoaib’ (Ishaan Khatter) and ‘Chandan Kumar’ (Vishal Jethwa), are preparing for police recruitment exams while navigating through life at the same time. ‘Shoaib’ works as an office boy in an MNC and faces discrimination on account of his religion.
On the other hand, his best friend, ‘Chandan’, a Dalit, is privy to jibes about his caste. The duo aims to clear the government exam, particularly the one with a vardi, in hopes of earning what society has denied them due to their backgrounds. The story further introduces ‘Janhvi Kapoor’, a friend of ‘Shoaib’ and ‘Chandan’ and a young PhD aspirant who is battling restrictions of her own.
Netizens react to the Homebound trailer
Dharma Productions backed the film, and the studio shared the trailer on their YouTube and social media channels on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in the morning. It moved the viewers, who found it both touching and somewhat jarring. A user penned, “My God. All are too good… batana mushkil hai kisne jada acha kaam kia hai.” A comment read, “#HOMEBOUND trailer looks so fresh & rooted, it doesn’t seem like a Dharma movie. #VishalJethwa & #IshaanKhatter bond is magic, in fact #JanhviKapoor is also looking good in this movie. OTT would have been a better choice, but let’s see how it performs at the box office.”
Another viewer added, “Cried while watching this trailer! As an aspiring filmmaker from a middle-class family, I can relate to being rejected from film school. It’s so inspiring to see this kind of film, stories, and filmmakers are getting celebrated!” A user stated, “#HOMEBOUND Trailer is hard-hitting and has all the required elements in it. The cast – #IshaanKhatter, #VishalJethwa, #JanhviKapoor and the director #NeerajGhaywan look so promising.”
More about Homebound
The film Homebound is based on a true story originally recounted in a 2020 New York Times essay by Basharat Peer, titled A Friendship, a Pandemic, and a Death Beside the Highway. It tells the story of two migrant workers’ journey during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film marks Neeraj Ghaywan’s return to direction 10 years after his debut film, Masaan. Homebound finished second runner-up in the International People’s Choice Award race at TIFF 2025. It will be released in India on September 26, 2025.
What are your thoughts on Homebound‘s trailer? Let us know.
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