Neeraj Ghaywan’s Oscar-bound 'Homebound' faces CBFC censorship, 11 changes ordered
Among the deletions were a five-second dialogue, “Aloo gobhi… khaate hai”, and a two-second visual of a man performing puja. Even shots of a passing car were modified to fit CBFC guidelines.
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CHENNAI: Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, India’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars, opened in cinemas on Friday after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared it with 11 changes, including trimming 77 seconds of footage, altering a cricket match sequence by 32 seconds, and muting/replacing words in 6 places. 1 minute and 17 seconds of footage were censored, in total, according to Bollywood Hungama.
Among the deletions were a five-second dialogue, “Aloo gobhi… khaate hai”, and a two-second visual of a man performing puja. Even shots of a passing car were modified to fit CBFC guidelines.
The Examining Committee (EC) of the CBFC had raised multiple objections, sending the film to the Revising Committee (RC). The RC eventually cleared it on September 12 with a U/A 16+ certificate, the report added.
With these changes, the film’s runtime now stands at 122 minutes (2 hours and 2 minutes).
Adding to the controversy, the makers briefly omitted the name of executive producer Martin Scorsese from the first posters before restoring it in later versions, the Indian Express reported.
Earlier this month, Homebound earned a standing ovation at its premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and secured the second runner-up spot in the prestigious International People’s Choice Award category.
The film had its world premiere earlier this year in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
Starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, the story centres on two friends who aspire to join the police force for dignity and respect, but see their dreams tested by caste, religion, and the hardships of the pandemic lockdown.
Homebound is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with co-producers Marijke de Souza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier, while Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer.
Inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home (A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway),” the film marks Ghaywan’s return to direction after his acclaimed debut Masaan (2015).