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.