Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar recently clarified that his remarks about Homebound, starring Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter, were misconstrued. For those unversed, during a recent interview, Karan had mentioned that he might not make a film like Homebound in the future.
"I made Homebound, worldwide critically acclaimed, but I can’t say if I’ll take such decisions in the future or not. I will feel upset, but I chose this deal for a reason - growth. Growth comes from profit, and profit comes from profitability. I will always be artistic, but it is important to be commercial as well," Karan had said a few days back during a conversation with Komal Nahta.
Following this statement, the filmmaker faced backlash online, and Homebound director Neeraj Ghaywan also appeared to take a subtle dig at him. Neeraj had reshared a fan's post that praised Homebound but criticised Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, another film produced by Karan, for getting more shows in theatres.
Addressing the controversy, Karan took to his Instagram story on Friday (October 10) and wrote, "I humbly request my friends and members of the media to not misconstrue or misquote my comments on our film HOMEBOUND... it was an academic chat on the business of our movies... I am and will always be exceptionally proud of HOMEBOUND... it will always shine in our repertoire of films as one of our finest and most sensitively performed and directed films."
Karan added, "We are actively working towards making our film get a large audience and presence on a global stage and are thrilled with the day on day increase in domestic footfalls as well."
Homebound has been announced as India's official entry to Oscars 2026 in the Best International Feature category.
Inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s article Taking Amrit Home (also known as A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway), Homebound narrates a moving tale of childhood friendship between a Muslim and a Dalit. The two chase a coveted police job, a pursuit that symbolises their fight for dignity long denied by their surnames and social identity.
The film also stars Janhvi Kapoor in a pivotal role.
