Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, which serves as India’s official entry for the Oscars, officially opens in cinemas today after navigating a significant conflict with the censor board, which required 11 cuts totaling 77 seconds of deletions.
The film, produced by Dharma Productions and featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, received clearance from the Revising Committee on September 12, accompanied by a U/A 16+ certification, but only after multiple edits to both its visuals and dialogue.
Changes included the removal of the line “Aloo gobhi…khaate hai,” a two-second clip of a man conducting puja, and alterations to six words, including “gyaan.” Additionally, a dialogue exchange at the 21-minute mark was modified.
A notable intervention occurred during a critical cricket match sequence at the 1-hour and 4-minute mark, where 32 seconds of visuals and dialogue were deleted. Other cuts comprised segments lasting 16 and 20 seconds, along with a two-second dialogue, and adjustments in a scene featuring a passing car.
Homebound now has a final runtime of 122 minutes, aligning it with other socially conscious projects from Dharma Productions that have faced rigorous scrutiny, such as Dhadak 2.
Despite these censorship challenges, the film’s narrative—focusing on two friends confronting personal and societal boundaries—continues its journey toward the Oscars, with its release saga reflecting a storyline nearly as dramatic as its content.
Tags: India, Oscar entry, Homebound, theatres, censor cuts
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