Watching Homebound is like having a closer look at the several issues prevalent in India and the ways it affects the different sections of the society, especially marginalised.
Which movie is a good movie?
The taste varies from person to person. Most of us would say it’s the entertainment, the thrill, and the mystery that it offers. The other would say that it should teach something, i.e. should have a moral purpose. Someone would go into technicalities by evaluating it in terms of diction, spectacle, camera angle, cinematic sets, acting and others. Some would also quote the examples of the contemporary Bollywood trend, which includes violence, sexual temptation, and action.
I am not here to give a singular answer to the question I posed above, because once I attempted it, I ended up in arguments. Nonetheless, I can say that most of the award-winning movies are rooted deeply in the sociocultural milieu and offer much more than just entertainment. I could recall Laapataa Ladies (2023) and The Elephant Whisperers as I stated.
Recently, I came across the trailer of the movie Homebound on Netflix. I skipped it as it didn’t fit in my current mood. During my morning newspaper reading session, I came across the same movie with the info that it has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature category at the 98th Academy Awards. I immediately decided that tonight would be a Homebound night to see what it has to offer!
Title: Homebound
Language: Hindi with regional language on some occasions
Run Time: Approx 2 hrs
Genre: Social realism
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Jahanavi Kapoor
Directed by: Neeraj Ghaywan
Story by: Basharat Peer, Neeraj Ghaywan, Sumit Roy
IMDB: 8
Available on: Netflix
‘Homebound‘ means attached to the home or always turns to home because they’re tied to some responsibility. The title resonates aptly with the movie, as at several stages, characters find themselves in a dilemma between leaving home in search of a livelihood and wishing to return to fulfil their responsibility toward their family. The movie deftly weaves up issues related to discrimination based on caste and religion, exploitation from the upper class and position, the red tapism and corruption, critiquing the government, migration of youth from villages to cities in search of jobs, the poor living conditions of workers in industries and factories and ultimately the hardships related to the havoc created by Covid 19 pandemic.
The movie presents a realistic picture of the marginalised section of India, where owning a concrete house and going to college is still a distant dream. The target is to take up the immediate availble job, no matter how, to earn money to sustain their family. The characters go in-depth to enact the scene as realistically as possible. The detailing of the cinematic sets is remarkable. The acting is also commendable. The language changes to regional frequently when the older character speaks. The picturisation of the situation of COVID-19 is remarkable, which reminds me of one of the documentaries I watched. It appears as if all the rules and regulations are for the poor and villagers. According to the recent reports, still 63 per cent of India’s population resides in villages, but not even 5 per cent resouces are channelised toward their welfare.
The movie, though, raises significant issues of importance; it has nothing new to offer. However, it goes a level ahead by transgressing the contemporary trends in Bollywood movies and getting shortlisted for an award. The societal perspective is missing in the movie, as it places too much emphasis on the central character and their families.
I advise the readers to dedicate 2 hours of their valuable time watch this movie once and reflect upon the issues prevailing in the society. Who knows, it may win an Oscar!
©Shashank
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