Indian cinema made a strong mark at the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year. Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound not just earned a standing ovation but also secured the second runner-up position for the coveted International People's Choice Award.
What's Happening
- TIFF announced its 2025 award winners on Sunday, where South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook's satirical thriller No Other Choice won the International People's Choice Award. Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value was named the first runner-up, while Homebound proudly took the second runner-up spot.
- In other categories, Chloe Zhao's Hamnet, featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, won the festival's main People's Choice Award, her second after Nomadland in 2020. According to Hindustan Times, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein and Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery were named first and second runners-up, respectively.
- Beyond Homebound, several Indian titles featured at TIFF 2025, including Anurag Kashyap's Bandar, Jitank Singh Gurjar's Vimukt/In Search of The Sky, and Bayaan, starring Huma Qureshi.
- Indian films have historically found recognition at TIFF's People's Choice Awards. Pan Nalin's Angry Indian Goddesses was a landmark winner in 2015, while in 2023, the action thriller Kill placed first runner-up in the festival's Midnight Madness People's Choice category.
Background
Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, tells the story of two childhood friends from a small village in North India striving to secure a police job that promises them dignity. However, their growing desperation to achieve this goal threatens to unravel their bond.
The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section on May 21 before traveling to Toronto for its North American premiere. Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Martin Scorsese serving as executive producer, the film has attracted international acclaim ahead of its Indian release on September 26, 2025.