Our take
Homebound depicts the lives of two best friends Shoaib and Chandan. In their youth, they’ve done everything together, ostracized from the other kids because of their religion and caste, respectively. Now, they’re adults, so they aim to become policemen: a high-paid government job free from discrimination. However, the paths they take after prove that it’s not quite simple. Writer-director Neeraj Ghaywan builds tension upon each injustice, with both men pushed again and again out of opportunities, until it culminates into its devastating conclusion. Homebound honors the real life friendship behind Shoaib and Chandan by boldly confronting the multiple ways India has failed them.
The story
Two childhood friends from a small North Indian village chase a police job that promises them the dignity they’ve long been denied. But as they inch closer to their dream, mounting desperation threatens the bond that holds them together.
Elsewhere
"The first time in ages that a mainstream Hindi-language production has felt vital"
— Siddhant Adlakha
The details
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
