The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025 recently drew its curtains with the official screening of Homebound. The film, directed by the National Award-winning filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, has been making waves across the globe. Produced by Dharma Productions, it stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. It was earlier featured at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. Just like Cannes, the film captivated audiences at the grand Closing Night of the IFFM as well.
Homebound receives a standing ovation at IFFM 2025
The Closing Night was graced by packed auditoriums with two screenings of Homebound, given the massive anticipation amongst the Australian audience to watch the film. The heartfelt storytelling and powerful performances in the film struck a deep chord with the audience, concluding with a standing ovation as the credits rolled.
The film also won two major awards at the festival this year, including Best Film and Best Director awards. Homebound is based on an essay by Basharat Peer in The New York Times. It is the story of two friends, Mohammad Saiyub and Amrit Kumar, who were struggling to reach their village during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Makers react
Speaking about the film`s awards, director Neeraj Ghaywan shared, “To bring Homebound to Melbourne, and to win these two awards, is extremely special. To be in a room full of such diverse people feels truly incredible. One feels so special to see the Australian government and ministers doing so much for this festival, i have never seen such kind of support anywhere else in the world.
Similarly, Festival Director Mitu Bhowmik Lange added, “We could not have imagined a more powerful and fitting way to close IFFM 2025 than with Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound. The film embodies everything we celebrate at this festival—fearless storytelling, stellar performances, and narratives that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Watching the audience rise to their feet in applause was a moment of pride not just for the team of Homebound, but for Indian cinema as a whole. This year’s edition has been about honouring stories that spark empathy and conversation, and Homebound is exactly that kind of story.”
