Neeraj Ghaywan says he wanted to make 'Homebound' after reading the story, thanks his team

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan says the moment he was introduced to the story of his latest film ''Homebound'', which is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer's article, he knew he wanted to bring it to life.

Starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead roles, the film premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Un Certain Regard segment.

It is based on Peer's The New York Times article ''Taking Amrit Home''.

Ghaywan shared a lengthy post on his Instagram handle on Monday expressing his gratitude to the team. ''Now that the whirlwind that was Cannes is over, I'd like to acknowledge the contributions of people associated with our film #Homebound. Starting off with the writing process. Sorry I forgot to write in the post that I wrote the screenplay as well. That was by myself,'' he wrote on X.

''It all began with the article 'Taking Amrit Home' that Basharat Peer wrote for the New York Times. After introducing me to it, Somen Mishra (producer) pitched the idea of me directing the film to Basharat and he was excited by the prospect. Something inside of me cried out to make the story come to life as I read it,'' the post began.

Ghaywan said he travelled with Peer to meet the families featured in the article, post which his anticipation to make a film only increased. ''I travelled with Basharat to meet the families featured in the article. I was even more sure I wanted to pursue this story after meeting them. It made me reflect on my own life and I seeded that in the story. Basharat, without your article and your guidance, the 'Homebound' journey would never have begun. I'm grateful to you,'' he wrote. The official synopsis of the film reads: "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." The director also thanked writer Sumit Roy, who is credited on the movie as script consultant, for helping him through one of the most difficult periods during the making.

''His mere presence helped me wade through a dark phase and shake off the self-doubt. For nearly three years he has been an integral part of the story and guided me on the screenplay. Sumit, you are an indispensable part of Homebound,'' the director said.

Ghaywan, whose debut feature ''Masaan'' in 2015, was written by Varun Grover, thanked the writer-lyricist for coming aboard. ''He brought clarity, brevity, elegance, and narrative finesse to the dialogues,'' Ghaywan said about Grover.

The director also thanked Shoaib Nazeer for ''valuable research'', dialect coach Shreedhar Dubey, Svetlana Naudiyal, programming director APAC Mubi, co-producer Melita Toscan Du Plantier, especially for bringing filmmaker Martin Scorsese on board as an executive producer, and editor Nitin Baid It was the second time for the filmmaker to have his film screened at the prestigious festival in Un Certain Regard category after ''Masaan''.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)