Homebound Director Neeraj Ghaywan Says He ‘Changed The Script’ After Martin Scorsese’s Inputs | Bollywood News

Janhvi Kapoor, Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter star in Homebound.

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan of Masaan fame had a dream run at the Cannes Film Festival this year. His latest project Homebound premiered in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section, but what made the moment even more special was receiving creative feedback from none other than legendary director Martin Scorsese. The film stars Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khattar. In a press conference today, the director opened up on the filmmaker extraordinaire’s inputs.

“He has been so instrumental in giving us a copious amount of notes. He sent it across to our producer Melita Toscan du Plantie about the script. So I changed the script. So his contribution to the script has been quite a lot because I’ve changed those beats. And then, again, he came back when we were editing the film. He’s given feedback on the edits.  And all of this selflessly. I don’t think any person would do it. I mean, that’s the reason why he’s the biggest filmmaker around the world.”

Earlier, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Ghaywan shared how Scorsese not only read his screenplay but also sent in thoughtful and detailed suggestions via email.

“Well, the notes came in over e-mail, and… and detail. In detail. Because he started out on the script, and he said advised me to shave off a lot of the exposition. And, you know, this is the first time I’m actually writing a full screenplay. So that was a little daunting, because every filmmaker wants to say a hundred things in the same film,” Ghaywan said.

He further explained how the veteran director helped sharpen the film’s narrative. “So those things, and try to put restraint on some of the arcs that he said may impede your main narrative. Those points were really bang on because it helped me, like, pave the screenplay.”

Scorsese’s mentorship also continued into the editing stage. “We actually went with a very big screenplay, and also during editing, like, he had such wonderful things to talk about. Like say how to make it shorter, make it to the point, and every bit of it. Sometimes it was such disbelief, you know, like to even comprehend that, ‘Hello, he is talking about my film.’”

Meanwhile, the Film Federation of India has selected Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, as the country’s official submission in the Best International Feature Film category. The announcement was made on September 19, 2025, sparking excitement across the industry. But while the film’s selection is a milestone, it does not automatically translate into a nomination at the Academy Awards. The path ahead involves multiple stages of scrutiny and voting.