Neeraj Ghaywan Thanks Homebound Team After Cannes, Omits DoP Pratik Shah Amid Allegations

News18

02-06-2025

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Neeraj Ghaywan thanked the Homebound team post-Cannes, but his note made no mention of cinematographer Pratik Shah, who is facing abuse allegations.
Homebound, Neeraj Ghaywan's much-discussed film that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month in the Un Certain Regard section, is now caught in the crosswinds of controversy. The film's cinematographer, Pratik Shah, recently came under fire after being accused of abuse and inappropriate conduct. Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Shah deleted his Instagram account, prompting speculation. While the production house has issued a statement, director Neeraj Ghaywan has now spoken—but notably, without mentioning Shah at all.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Ghaywan posted a detailed note of gratitude, reflecting on Homebound's journey and acknowledging key contributors to the film. Yet his omission of the cinematographer—traditionally a crucial creative collaborator—was impossible to overlook.
'Now that the whirlwind that was Cannes is over, I'd like to acknowledge the contributions of people associated with our film #Homebound," Ghaywan began.
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.— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) June 2, 2025
He credited the origins of the story to Basharat Peer's moving New York Times article Taking Amrit Home. 'After introducing me to it, @somenmishra0 (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," Ghaywan wrote, adding that travelling with Peer to meet the families featured in the piece strengthened his desire to tell their story.
The filmmaker went on to thank a long list of collaborators: story and screenplay consultant Sumit Roy, dialogue writer Varun Grover, dialect coach Shreedhar Dubey, the Dharma Productions development team, DA and script supervisor Ibad Shaikh, co-producer Melita Toscan Du Plantier, and editor Nitin Baid. He also clarified, 'I forgot to add that I also wrote the Screenplay of Homebound. That was by myself."
Conspicuously absent from the list was Pratik Shah, who served as the cinematographer on the film. The omission comes shortly after abuse allegations surfaced online, though Ghaywan has yet to comment publicly on the controversy itself.
Meanwhile, Dharma Productions, which backed the film, issued an official statement regarding the matter. 'Mr. Pratik Shah was a freelancer on the project Homebound and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn't receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on our film Homebound," read the statement.
Homebound, which stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, received a nine-minute standing ovation at Cannes. It was executive produced by Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese and marked a significant moment in Indian cinema's global presence this year. Despite missing out on an award, the film was widely praised for its emotional depth and craftsmanship.
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