Latest news with #Masaan
India Today
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Neeraj Ghaywan shares Homebound was inspired by powerful pandemic-era true story
After a whirlwind premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, director Neeraj Ghaywan thanked the entire team of 'Homebound' for their efforts and hard work behind the a heartfelt and layered post, Ghaywan not only celebrates the success of 'Homebound' but also turned the spotlight on the incredible team behind it, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the film's even described what went behind conceptualising the idea and how did he land up writing the entire film. In a series of posts on X, he wrote, '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. 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 (sic).'advertisementFollowing this, the director discussed that the tough part came when he had to craft a full-length feature celebrated for his directorial prowess, confessed, 'Writing an entire feature film by myself was a difficult undertaking for me. Sumit Roy arrived as a rescuer. Although he is credited as a story and screenplay consultant, his contribution goes beyond that. 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 (sic).' He even acknowledged Shoaib Nazeer's assistance for the project. 'During our writing phase, Shoaib Nazeer assisted us. Not only did he bring valuable research but also specific cultural insights to the screenplay. Thank you, Shoaib, for being the bouncing board (sic),' he director even thanked Martin Scorsese for getting associated with the project. 'His feedback on the screenplay that you shared with us was genuinely useful in bringing a sharper focus (sic)' he wrote. The film was written by Neeraj Ghaywan and Sumit Roy. It is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with support from co-producers Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan du Plantier. In a huge boost, legendary Hollywood director Martin Scorsese has joined the project as executive Ghaywan is already known internationally for his debut film 'Masaan', which also premiered at Cannes and won two big awards there.
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Pankaj Tripathi Initially Refused Mimi, Says Wife Convinced Him To Take The Role
Last Updated: Pankaj Tripathi reveals he initially turned down Mimi until his wife convinced him to reconsider. The role went on to earn him a National Award. With the return of the much-anticipated fourth season of Criminal Justice, actor Pankaj Tripathi once again steps into the role of Madhav Mishra, the endearing and sharp-witted lawyer navigating complex cases in the Indian judicial system. As the series premieres on OTT, Tripathi appeared in IMDb's exclusive segment 'The Essential Guide,' offering audiences a rare window into the key moments that shaped his career, the stories behind his most iconic performances, and what he sees as the pillars of his evolution in the digital entertainment space. Reflecting on his time filming Raavan, Tripathi revealed, 'I enjoyed my feminine side while shooting for Raavan. During the filming, I wore a saree, with makeup, and sat on set for seven days. Even in my village, I had dressed up as a girl for the first play in my life. I haven't had the opportunity to play a character like that on screen again, but if it comes, the opportunity would be interesting." He also shared a deeply personal story about a photo with his parents. 'In villages, there is no such culture of taking pictures. I had a mobile back then and requested a child nearby to click a picture of me with my parents. It was the first opportunity in my life when I got to place my hand on my father's shoulder, as such acts weren't followed in my village. In my house, no one knew what films were. No one used to read film magazines either and in fact there was no electricity there till 2016-17. I had told my family that I'm going to study theatre at NSD, post which I will become a professor. They thought I would get into teaching post my education there, so they agreed to let me go." Speaking about how the industry came to acknowledge his versatility, Tripathi said, 'Neeraj Ghaywan helped me change my image from an aggressive man which I had got through Gangs of Wasseypur. People were surprised through Masaan that I can play a soft character as well. Both films – Gangs of Wasseypur and Masaan helped the industry realise that I am a versatile actor. Then Nil Battey Sannata helped the industry understand that I can even play a comic role too. I played a sincere school principal who wanted to help students move ahead in life. The film is a serious comedy. It was Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's first film. She gave me the freedom to play the character the way I want and thus people got acquainted with the fact that I can do comedy as well." Tripathi also recalled the moment he learned he had won a National Award for his work in Newton. 'I had a lot of fun filming Newton. Though I was fed up with lower back pain that I was dealing with at the time. Under the uniform I wore, I used to wear an orthopedic belt and kept it on during the entire filming. The film gave me my first National Award. I'll always be thankful and cherish that. I was with Saurabh Shukla and Anubhav Sinha, we were shooting in Lucknow. Saurabh sir then checked his phone and pointed it towards me saying that I won a National Award. I thought he was joking initially as we weren't aware that the announcement was that day. I went running to my room as I didn't have my phone. When I reached, there were around 30-35 missed calls. Some media folks, some from the fraternity. It was an emotional moment and I shed a few tears. I called my wife and informed her. It was always my dream to win a National Award for cinema, I was emotional for a few days thereafter." Looking back on Bareilly Ki Barfi, Tripathi shared, 'I was quite fit then, so I had to wear a bodysuit under a sweater to look heavier. Many girls approached me after the film sharing that they made their fathers watch it and through the movie, their equation with them changed." He also reflected on the characters that shaped his digital career. 'Guruji in Sacred Games, Kaleen Bhaiya in Mirzapur and Madhav Mishra in Criminal Justice. While acting, I feel that I should just keep thinking and it should transform into an expression that defines the character." Finally, speaking about Mimi, a film he initially declined, Tripathi said, 'I initially didn't want to do Mimi. Dinesh Vijan and Laxman Utekar called my wife, asking her to convince me. I gave in and did the film. It was a great experience to be a part of this movie that is amongst the most viewed films on OTT. Kriti and I both received National Awards for the film. It wasn't just a supporting role, it was something else altogether." As Madhav Mishra returns to our screens in Criminal Justice: Season 4, Tripathi's journey from village plays to national acclaim stands as a testament to perseverance, range, and the quiet power of letting characters speak for themselves. His stories not only reflect his humility and depth as an artist, but also highlight the subtle, transformative power of authenticity in Indian cinema. First Published:
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Dharma Productions issues statement after sexual misconduct allegations against ‘Homebound' cinematographer Pratik Shah
A day after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah, production banner Dharma Productions issued a statement, distancing itself from the controversy and reasserting its stance against sexual harassment at the workplace. Shah, who recently attended the Cannes premiere of Homebound, has been accused of predatory and inappropriate behaviour towards multiple women. He was outed online in a post by filmmaker Abhinav Singh, who has based his claims on testimonials of around 20 women. Homebound, shot by Shah, is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan) and produced by Dharma Productions. A story of friendship and resilience, the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The Karan Johar-led banner said in it's statement, 'At Dharma Productions we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. The POSH-mandated Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at Dharma did not receive any complaints against Shah during his association on Homebound, the statement said. 'Mr. Pratik Shah was a freenlancer 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',' the statement read. ALSO READ: Interview | Basharat Peer on the story that became 'Homebound' Besides Homebound, Pratik Shah has shot CTRL, Jubilee and other titles. According to a report in THR India, four years ago, a young female cinematographer had approached the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) with a complaint against Shah after he solicited a nude picture. The publication also accessed the testimonials corroborating Abhinav Singh's claims. The women reached to Singh with accounts of Shah's 'creepy' behaviour, with some labelling him a 'predator'. Shah has not responded to the allegations. He has deactivated his Instagram account since May 30, 2025 (Friday).
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Homebound director Neeraj Ghaywan: ‘I'd been hiding for 35 years. When you masquerade, your confidence dies'
Neeraj Ghaywan's debut feature Masaan premiered in the Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015. Set in Banaras, it was a story of collisions, in which unruly modernity and hidebound tradition rubbed up against each other, showing us the pushes and pulls India has lived with for centuries. And giving us a filmmaker to watch out for. Ten years on, he returned to the Croisette with his second feature Homebound, which screened in the same section, the only Indian film to have been officially selected at the festival. The film, born out of a New York Times piece by journalist and writer Basharat Peer, cements the filmmaker's concerns — capturing the voice of the marginalised, speaking up for empathy and kindness and leaving us with a glimmer of hope. Neeraj Ghaywan spoke to The Indian Express a day after the Cannes premiere — attended by the cast and crew, including lead actors Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, and producers Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra — which left the audience teary-eyed, garnering a nine-minute standing ovation. It was a free-flowing conversation on how Homebound came about, his own struggle with accepting his identity and how his 'coming out' has impacted his life. Excerpts: Masaan's reception here at Cannes was quite memorable. How did you feel about the way the audience responded to Homebound? There were so many wet eyes and you were wiping away tears yourself… I have seen the film a hundred times and even during the tech check I was dozing off, thinking I can't stand this film anymore, let's just get done with it. But once it started, so many visceral emotions welled up… like there's the making of a pukka ghar (belonging to the Dalit protagonist). When I was very young, we also had a kachcha khaprail wala ghar (house with clay-tiled roof). When we were building our house with cement, it was such a dream, all of us children would fight with my father, saying, 'Humein bhi daalna hai paani (we also want to help moisten the cement)'. When I saw this on screen, all those memories started coming back. I started tearing up and Karan (Johar) was sitting next to me and he also started tearing up. And I was like, who do I turn to, everyone is crying. It was overwhelming. Also Read | Cannes 2025: Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound is a timely, trenchant testament to our times We don't even realise we put in our films so much of what we are, who we are. Also because I'm so much that person, my work and I are so fused together, maybe that's why I took 10 years to make another film. How did Homebound come about? When I first started reading Basharat's story, which Somen (Mishra) got me, it shook me, and I thought why don't I write a larger story. Across the world, all minorities, people of colour, ethnic, religious, sexual minorities, even migrants, are relegated to statistics. It takes away accountability and becomes empty rhetoric. What if we pick one person, see what all happens in that person's life, what did they eat, whom did they love, who did they leave behind, what made them go back, maybe there will be more empathy. I'm not coming from a place of anger. I don't want to villianise anyone. In fact, I feel people want to empathise with the 'other side', I want to hold their hand, I want to say, let's talk. Maybe we've gone too far, let's recalibrate. Empathy and kindness are what the world needs badly at this point. For a long time, you were not talking about your identity. Then at some point you embraced it and your being Dalit has become almost a badge of honour. What changed? How did you find the courage to come out? For 35 years, I had been hiding. When you masquerade, your confidence dies. Every step you take, you think someone's watching you. My eldest sister was getting married — it was a Buddhist wedding — and I didn't want to go, because my big fear was that I would be outed. And then, finally, when I did speak up and it made the papers, my domestic help said, 'Bhaiyya, aap ki photo aayi hai (Your photo is in the paper)'. It took me three days to find the courage to tell her. How did she respond? She said, 'Achcha dada, aap Jai Bhim waley ho, par usse koi fark nahin padta (You are part of the Jai Bhim community, but that doesn't make a difference)' because you take care of us so well. Then I called my driver, made chai for him, and told him as well. He went quiet for a bit, and said 'Hamaare ghar waley chooaa-chhoot maantey hain (my family practises discrimination) but it makes no difference to me'. Just imagine, speaking to my staff was difficult, it was super-duper difficult to talk to anyone else. My journey of becoming an Ambedkarite happened after that… I was like Chandan (the Dalit protagonist in the film), I was also hiding, but the more I read up, the clearer everything became. But I also have to say that the weight of it is insurmountable. To be the only self-acknowledged Dalit in all of Hindi cinema history is two things — one that you have immense responsibility and at the same time, I don't want to be bracketed. I want to be a filmmaker making various kinds of films. I come from Ray's school where politics can never supersede your narrative. If that happens you are a propagandist. Then you're not cinema, you're vox pop. What changed after the coming out? Because I came out, my entire extended family got outed. Like me, most of them were masquerading, in their workplaces, in government offices, in senior positions. My nieces told me they were not comfortable with how they were being perceived. One person said good for you, but tough for me. I'm still trying to navigate this, and coming into my own. I don't rue the fact that many people from my community want to practise Hinduism. It should be to each their own, as long as you practise humanity. My transformation happened through support from a lot of members of the community (Prakash Ambedkar, Suraj Yengde) and, of course, my close friends from within the filmmaking community. A post shared by Shubhra Gupta (@shubhragupta) You got a lot of flak for showing a very glittery Dalit wedding in the TV series Made In Heaven (Season 2, 2023). Are you compensating by showing a very simple one in Homebound? I'm glad you asked this question. The character in Made In Heaven was a very successful Dalit woman from Columbia University. It was a show about rich people. I wanted to shoot it with aplomb, so a Bvlgari ka mangalsutra wouldn't be out of place, okay? Also our production designer (Sally White) made it so stunning. It was a statement. Just because we are Dalit, why can't we have designer things? Aap ko jeans pehenne se dikkat hai, aap ko mooch ugaane se dikkat hai, aap ko ghodi chadne se dikkat hai, toh main aap ko dikhaaoonga ki yeh sab ho sakta hai. (You have a problem if we wear jeans, grow a moustache, or be carried on horseback for our weddings: I will show you that all of these can be done, and why not?) But in Homebound, I was also aware of the class I was showing. Sudha Bharti (the other Dalit protagonist in the film) ek railways ke chotey officer ki beti hai, toh uska setup bhi chota hi rahega (is the daughter of a junior railway office, so her setup is spartan). I was trying to represent Sudha's reality. How long did it take to add the layers of gender and class to the base story of Chandan Kumar and Mohammad Shoaib Ali, the Muslim-Dalit duo? It took me three years to write the screenplay. There's a lot of me in it, the masquerading, my own journey, acceptance. In my childhood (in Hyderabad), I had a great friend called Askar, and his biryani would be the best, and one Eid when it didn't come, I jumped over the terrace and starting gobbling it straight from the vessel, and when the family returned and saw me, I was so embarrassed. This is in the film. If there's one thing common to any community in the world, it is patriarchy. It is a unifier. Growing up, I was the son after three daughters, so I was pampered a lot. More than my father, it was my mother and grandmother. And when I became aware of it, I was so ashamed, and I wanted to call out myself. So there is Chandan's sister Vaishali (in the film) calling him out on his privilege. What made you choose Ishaan and Janhvi? Was there pressure from Dharma Productions to include stars? I had a cakewalk, you know. Here I am, making an indie-minded film with the biggest studio, with Karan Johar, with these stars, and Mr (Martin) Scorsese lending his name (to our film), and we are at Cannes. I'm vicariously living the dream of every independent filmmaker. I didn't set out to make a disruptive movie. The actual reason is that the people attached came with genuine passion and empathy, that's all what I wanted. I cannot attach to people who don't feel for the politics (shown in the film). The deeper truth is much more important because they have to feel the lived reality as I have done. If they don't, I would feel dishonest. We, as indie filmmakers, have a snooty bone about stars. Janhvi, I was sure about. We had been talking about making a biopic before this. I met her and told her I wanted her to audition, I'll train you, and workshop with you. She was going through a difficult time. For 10 days, we worked together. Initially, she would cry a lot, and slowly, I don't know how, it became therapy for her, and she became better through it. I spoke to her about privilege, and she read Annihilation of Caste, and went into a rabbit hole of understanding caste on her own. She started questioning a lot of things. She transformed through those days and came up with a terrific audition. I did a very long immersion with the boys (Ishaan and Vishal). I told them that you come from varied backgrounds but are privileged. The characters won't come to you, you have to go to the characters, you will have to leave yourselves behind, unless tum log teh tak nahin pahunchoge, woh sach camera mein dikh jayega, agar tum sach se avgat nahin ho paatey ho, toh uss character ko karne ke haqdaar nahin ho, tumhaara privilege nahin banta (until you reach the depths, the truth, you do not have the right to play that character, that is not your privilege). Also Read | Homebound at Cannes 2025: The real story behind Neeraj Ghaywan's sophomore directorial Like in Masaan, I had told Vicky (Kaushal, in his breakout debut role) that ki yaar, tumko Banarasiya banna padega, nahin toh unki tauheen hai (you will have to become Banarasiya, or you will demean the character you are playing). During the immersion exercise, we toured around north Indian villages, we went into homes, ate with families, lived through so many magical moments. It rewired them somehow, and you can see that in the film. Also I was aware that main Cannes mein dikhaoonga, aur phir Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, do-teen screen mil jayega, that's all. (I was aware that the film will be in Cannes and then in big cities in India in two or three screens, that's all). But is that the extent of our responsibility? If the people we are basing our film on, if they don't feel seen, what is even the point of us artistes? If the presence of stars gives me that extra edge then maybe the film will go to a Kanpur, a Lucknow or Bhopal. That is a win. But at the same time, I will never compromise on performance. In 10 years, do you see any difference in the perception of Indian cinema at Cannes? I have two words: Payal Kapadia. She has just exploded, she has broken the ceiling, she has made way for so many people to come in and I don't think we celebrate her enough. I think that's the biggest change that's happened. Personally, for me, it's a sort of homecoming. This is where it all started, and I'm homebound to where it started. Toh meri ek tarah se ghar waapsi hai!
Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Neeraj Ghaywan on ‘Homebound': ‘If I don't tell my stories, who will?'
Neeraj Ghaywan returned to Cannes 10 years after his debut feature film Masaan premiered there. Homebound, his sophomore feature, which premiered to heartfelt applause and tears at the festival on 21 May, follows two young men in rural India—Muhammed Shoaib Ali, played by Ishaan Khatter, and Chandan Kumar, played by Vishal Jethwa—determined to escape a life marked with bigotry and poverty. As a Muslim, Shoaib faces constant discrimination and as a Dalit, Chandan's place in the social hierarchy is all but pre-determined. The two best friends grew up down the road from each other and we meet them at an age where their concerns about providing for their families and transcending their circumstances have taken centre stage. Shoaib's father wants him to take up a menial job in Dubai, where he won't be looked at askance on the basis of his religion, and Chandan's family is willing to go to great lengths to ensure he can pursue a career or education outside their village. But to the two friends, a police uniform represents a shortcut to the respect they've always been denied. So along with two million other young hopefuls, they take the qualifying state exam for a constable position. But when police recruitment is put on hold, they must scramble to figure out Plan B. Sudha, a young Dalit woman (played by Janhvi Kapoor) whom Chandan meets by happenstance and slowly begins to fall in love with, has decided that higher education is the only pathway that will allow her to truly rise up in the world. Fissures caused by her and Chandan's different strategies for upward mobility soon begin to appear in their relationship, and Shoaib, too, starts to pull away from Chandan when they disagree on the best path forward for each of them. What makes Homebound layered and complex is how these three characters, all from marginalised backgrounds, have their own moral compasses, world views, and pain thresholds. There's no monolithic view or solution when it comes to deep-rooted systemic problems and we see it in the way the three challenge each other's ideas. Shoaib and Chandan are wonderful foils for each other—the former's righteous anger offset by the latter's endearing tenderness. They push and challenge each other, but when it really counts they're also a shoulder for the other to cry on. Their friendship is the beating heart of the film, played with a lived-in camaraderie and mutual affection by Khatter and Jethwa. 'One of my inspirations is a quote by Rilke—'Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. No feeling is final'," says Ghaywan during an interview at Cannes. 'I wanted to show the beauty, not just the terror, because it's a patronising gaze to only see people as victims. In their world, there's also joy. There's also friendship. There's also family, and inter-family love. Because from an urban gaze, it's more about victimhood, which is a narrative that I'm honestly very tired of seeing. And I don't feel seen. And if I don't tell my stories, who will?" Eventually Shoaib and Chandan end up working at a textile factory hundreds of kilometres away from home, and the series of choices that led them there set them on a path to eventual tragedy. Ghaywan walks a fine balance, allowing the quiet devastation of the final act (inspired by real events) to unfold while never teetering into melodrama. 'I wanted it to be cinema vérité," he explains, citing Ken Loach and the Dardenne brothers as influences. He also had the good fortune of having cinema legend Martin Scorsese in his corner. One of Homebound's producers, Melita Toscan du Plantier, is friends with Scorsese (who was already a fan of Ghaywan's work in Masaan) and shared the script with him. The next thing Ghaywan knew, the Oscar-winner was emailing him notes and watching cuts, and even meeting with him over Zoom to offer feedback. 'It's still not sunk in," he says, of Scorsese's generosity of time and expertise on this film. Together with his collaborators, what Ghaywan has created is a work of deep empathy, one that seeks to bring about understanding rather than to vilify or alienate. 'I didn't come from a place of hatred for the other side. Because I'll become one of them, right? I want to be empathetic towards them… because people are victims of societal pressure, of misinformation, so instead of pointing daggers, maybe we can hold their hands and tell them, 'let's watch it together and see what happens.'" Pahull Bains is a freelance film critic and culture writer. Also read: Assassin's Creed Shadows review: Vast and beautiful, with a story mode
