Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan was honoured with Best Director of the Year Award at NDTV Indian of the Year 2025 in New Delhi
His latest release, Homebound, has won major accolades, receiving much praise from fans across the globe this year. A special moment unfolded when Janhvi Kapoor, who won the Actor of the Year Award (Female) for Homebound, shared some lovely words for her director.
Janhvi On Director Neeraj Ghaywan
Expressing gratitude to filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, she acknowledged the faith he placed in her. "I'm extremely grateful to Neeraj sir for seeing something in me that, on most days, I can't see in myself," she said.
According to Janhvi, the core message of the film lies in empathy and recognition. "I really think that's what this film is about. It's about seeing people for what they really are, and feeling seen. That's really what we hope you take away from this experience. That's what I took away," she shared.
When asked about handling success and pressure after being named Indian of the Year, Janhvi admitted that the nervousness never truly disappears. "I don't know if you guys can tell, but my hand is shaking with this mic in it because I'm in this amazing room with so many formidable people. The pressure really never goes away," she said candidly.
She added that success has transformed pressure into something more meaningful. "I think the pressure has kind of turned into responsibility, and I'm more cognisant of it," Janhvi noted.
Neeraj Ghaywan On A Movie That Has Inspired Him
The director said, "Ijaazat is a film that I really enjoy. I mean, I see it every two years-months. And like Janhvi's character, Sudha, is actually inspired from Ijaazat's character of Rekha, who's also named Sudha, and she has the same strength as Sudha. So, yeah, that's the connection again. Gulzar Sahab is always an inspiration."
International Acclaim
Homebound had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section on May 21 before travelling to the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year. Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound not only earned a standing ovation but also secured the second runner-up position for the coveted International People's Choice Award.
Homebound was also the closing film for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025, with its final screening on August 24, 2025.
Recently, the film was also shortlisted for the prestigious 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026. The film was released in India on September 25, 2025.
About NDTV Indian Of The Year
Continuing its tradition of honouring excellence as part of Indian of the Year, NDTV undertook an exhaustive selection process to recognise outstanding Indians across 14 diverse categories-spanning business leadership, innovation, philanthropy, governance, sports, entertainment, culture, and science.
