The average Indian's tale finds dignity in this Oscar contender

Neeraj Ghaywan's storytelling and the leads' compelling performances make Homebound a must-watch

- Lekha Menon

Homebound begins with two young boys, Chandan Kumar and Mohammed Shoaib, travelling on a crowded tractor at night somewhere in small-town India, reading a book by torchlight. By morning, they arrive at an equally crowded railway station where thousands, like them, are huddled. Each one of them shares the same goal - to make it to the examination centre for police recruitment tests, a passport to a respectable life away from poverty and discrimination.

The sheer number of aspirants shocks them, though they know competition is fierce. It's a tough world where demand far outstrips supply. As one character explains: There are 2.5 million applications for 3,500 seats, leaving 714 candidates vying for every position. "Are we going to an exam or a war?" asks a dejected Chandan. Yet neither can withdraw, because, as Shoaib puts it: "When you wear the uniform, your faith and caste no longer matter."

That single line, in many ways, captures the essence of director Neeraj Ghaywan's terrific Homebound, India's official entry to the Oscars. In a deeply polarised society where identity and surname often determine one's opportunities and outcomes, education and the power it brings emerges as the one possible lever to balance extreme inequalities.