Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound, starring Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 on Wednesday. At its premiere during the 78th edition of the festival in the French Riviera, the film received a 9-minute-long standing ovation. The emotional moment saw the cast and director moved to tears as they absorbed the overwhelming response.
Neeraj was seen breaking down in tears, with producer Karan Johar stepping in to hug and console him. Janhvi and Ishaan also became emotional as the entire crowd erupted in loud, heartfelt applause. Sharing a video of the historic moment, the production banner wrote on social media, “9 minutes of pure love & applause!🤌🏻 Team Homebound receiving all the appreciation at @festivaldecannes!”
Check out the video:
Boney Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor were also seen in the video, applauding the cast of Homebound as they arrived to support Janhvi. Janhvi’s boyfriend, Shikhar Pahariya, was present in Cannes as well, though he did not appear in the video.
The story of Homebound 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.”
Homebound is also produced by Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with co-producers Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan du Plantier.
Adding to the film’s prestige, legendary Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese serves as the Executive Producer, lending his support to the powerful project that has already made waves at Cannes 2025.
