Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s much-anticipated drama Homebound has finally been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) — but not without a fight. The board enforced 11 cuts, trimming 77 seconds from the film, including a cricket match sequence that lost 32 seconds. Despite these changes, the film, backed by Dharma Productions, is all set to release in theatres on September 26, 2025 and has already been named India’s official entry to the Oscars.
What the Censor Board changed
The Examining Committee (EC) of the CBFC initially raised multiple objections, pushing the film to be reviewed by the Revising Committee (RC). On September 12, 2025, the RC cleared it with a U/A 16+ certificate, but only after ordering several modifications:
- Six words were either muted or replaced.
- A five-second dialogue (“Aloo gobhi khaate hai”) was cut.
- A two-second shot of a man performing puja was removed.
- A dialogue at the 21-minute mark was muted and replaced with an alternative shot.
- The word ‘gyaan’ was deleted.
- A 32-second cricket sequence was shortened.
- Additional trims included a 16-second portion, a 20-second shot, and a two-second dialogue.
- Visuals of a passing car were altered to align with board guidelines.
After these changes, the film’s final runtime stands at 122 minutes (2 hours and 2 minutes).
The bigger picture: art vs. censorship
While Homebound has survived the scissors, the debate it stirs is larger than cinema. Why is a film — chosen as India’s Oscar entry — still subjected to cuts that mute dialogues and snip visuals of everyday cultural practices? Are we afraid of the very reflections of society that our filmmakers hold up?
Critics argue that muting harmless lines like “Aloo gobhi khaate hai” and removing a man’s puja scene only amplifies the absurdity of over-censorship. Isn’t cinema supposed to provoke, challenge, and sometimes even discomfort us? Instead, we end up sanitizing films to fit an outdated moral compass.
What makes Homebound unmissable
Despite these hurdles, Neeraj Ghaywan — known for his hard-hitting storytelling in Masaan — has once again crafted a film that blends social realism with emotional depth. Starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, Homebound is already being hailed as one of the strongest contenders to represent India on the global stage.
The Oscar selection alone makes it a landmark. It positions Homebound not merely as entertainment but as India’s cinematic voice of the year. If anything, the censor board’s scissors may have only sharpened the film’s relevance.
Final word
Come September 26, audiences won’t just be watching Homebound. They’ll be witnessing a film that has braved censorship, carried India’s Oscar hopes, and dared to hold up a mirror to the times we live in.
And here’s the irony — while the censor board clipped 77 seconds, it may have unwittingly given Homebound the one thing it couldn’t cut: a louder, more powerful conversation about freedom of expression in Indian cinema.
By – Nikita