Neeraj Ghaywan on Martin Scorsese’s Feedback for ‘Homebound’: “It Still Hasn’t Sunk In”

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan is still reeling from the surreal experience of receiving detailed feedback on his “Homebound” screenplay and editing from none other than cinematic titan Martin Scorsese. The director, whose film recently premiered to a nine-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, admits the magnitude of the collaboration is yet to fully register.

In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Ghaywan opened up about the unexpected and invaluable guidance he received from the legendary director. “The notes came in over email, and… and detail. In detail,” Ghaywan shared, emphasizing the thoroughness of Scorsese’s input. “Because he started out on the script, and he advised me to shave off a lot of the exposition.”

For a filmmaker, particularly one like Ghaywan for whom this is his first time writing a full feature screenplay, such advice can be daunting. “This is the first time I’m actually writing a full screenplay. So that was a little daunting, because every filmmaker wants to say a hundred things in the same film,” he confessed. Scorsese’s wisdom, however, extended beyond simply cutting content. He urged Ghaywan to “try to put restraint on some of the arcs that he said may impede your main narrative.”

Ghaywan found these insights to be remarkably precise and instrumental in shaping the film. “Those points were really bang on because it helped me, like, pave the screenplay,” he explained. The legendary director’s mentorship didn’t stop at the script stage. “We actually went with a very big screenplay, and also during editing, like, he had such wonderful things to talk about. Like say how to make it shorter, make it to the point, and every bit of it.”

The sheer disbelief of the situation is evident in Ghaywan’s reflection. “Sometimes it was such disbelief, you know, like to even comprehend that, ‘Hello, he is talking about my film.'” He humbly recalled that while Scorsese had liked his debut film Masaan and there were talks of an American release that didn’t materialize, this direct involvement with Homebound has been a truly overwhelming honor. “Just like with Karan, even for me, it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Ghaywan added, referring to producer Karan Johar’s equally awestruck reaction to collaborating with Scorsese.

Karan Johar, whose Dharma Productions is backing “Homebound,” has also expressed his astonishment at having Scorsese’s name associated with his banner. He recounted a memorable first encounter with Scorsese in Shah Rukh Khan’s Berlin suite, where he felt his “knees rattling” in the presence of the maestro and Leonardo DiCaprio. “Doing a film with him is beyond that conversation. Yeah, it is. I’m like elated. I don’t know how to act cool about this. I’m sorry. I’m just like really excited,” Johar said, echoing Ghaywan’s sentiments of pure exhilaration.

Scorsese himself released a statement praising Homebound, saying, “I have seen Neeraj’s first film Masaan in 2015 and I loved it, so when Mélita Toscan du Plantier sent me the project for his second film, I was intrigued. I loved the story and the culture and wanted to help. Neeraj has created a beautifully crafted film that significantly contributes to Indian cinema. I am pleased the movie is an official selection at Un Certain Regard in Cannes this year.”

Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, delves into the lives of two childhood friends from a North Indian village who chase police jobs in pursuit of dignity, only for their bond to be tested by mounting desperation. The film’s compelling narrative and Ghaywan’s empathetic storytelling, now further refined by the wisdom of a living legend, clearly resonated deeply with the Cannes audience, marking a significant moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.