In the glittering constellation of global cinema, the Cannes Film Festival has long been a space where nations tell stories not just through celluloid, but through culture, conviction, and creative courage. For India, Cannes 2025 marks not just a presence, but a pivot. Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, selected for Un Certain Regard, is the single Indian film representing the country in Cannes’ official feature film selection this year. But its significance far outweighs the numerical tally. Produced by Dharma Productions, traditionally synonymous with glossy visuals, sweeping family sagas, and the ‘first day, first show’ frenzy of Indian box office dreams, Homebound heralds a profound shift; not just in content, but in mindset.

This is not a typical Dharma spectacle. This is a Dharma recalibrated.

Advertisement

For an industry often caught between the extremes of indie realism and commercial maximalism, Homebound is a cinematic handshake between the two. It tells the world that big banners are now willing to back big-hearted stories, stories that may not be engineered for mass hysteria but are built for meaning. It signals a refreshing new trajectory where India’s mainstream is finally meeting its soul.

Ghaywan, whose debut Masaan earned critical acclaim at Cannes a decade ago, returns to the Croisette with a film that reflects the raw, unvarnished truths of Indian life, delivered not through arthouse austerity alone, but through the credibility of a production house that once epitomised Bollywood glamour. With stars like Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter stepping into roles etched with emotional realism, Homebound becomes more than just a film; it becomes a statement: serious cinema does not need to be separate from scale.

This selection comes on the heels of last year’s landmark moment, Payal Kapadia’s historic win for All We Imagine as Light in the Main Competition, the first Indian film in decades to feature in that section, and one that went on to win accolades and global admiration. In 2024, India saw a surge at Cannes: from feature selections to short films and jury roles, it was the year that signalled India’s grand re-entry into the cinematic conversation on its own terms.

In contrast, Cannes 2025 may seem quieter in terms of volume, but it is strategically louder in intent. If 2024 was India’s resounding entry back into the palace, 2025 would be when India starts rearranging the furniture. By anchoring Homebound under the Dharma banner, India is redefining who gets to tell serious stories and where those stories can be told from.

This pivot is also a ripple from another wave—WAVES 2025, India’s own entertainment summit held in Mumbai earlier this year, which sought to position India not just as a content factory, but as a cultural thought leader in the global media ecosystem. The summit spotlighted homegrown innovation, narrative diversity, and the blending of commerce with conscience. Cannes is now seeing the aftershocks. In a way, Homebound is not just Ghaywan’s film, it is WAVES’ proof of concept.

And perhaps this is the new grammar of Indian cinema, a glossary that does not rely on volume to amplify, but on resonance to endure. A single film, sensitively made and courageously backed, can now represent the collective ambition of a new-age Indian cinematic ethos. One that celebrates truth over theatrics, depth over dazzle.

India’s presence at Cannes 2025 also extends through the official India Pavilion, organised under the ‘Bharat Parv’ banner. While Homebound takes centre stage, this pavilion represents the larger soft power canvas that India is painting; with a focus on film diplomacy, co-productions, and regional cinema exchange. It is a space where storytelling meets strategy.

But here lies the opportunity, can global film festivals now move towards a shared charter for cinematic dialogue? Can Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Venice and IFFI Goa collaborate on institutional platforms that nurture young filmmakers, AI-driven storytelling, ethics in cinematic data use, and global roundtables for narrative exchange?

In the age of AI-generated scripts and hyper-personalised content, we need a cultural commons, not just a competitive circuit. Perhaps, it’s time for a Cinema Mandate; a framework of mutual cooperation, ethical responsibility, and collaborative innovation among the world’s top festivals and cinema institutions. A permanent roundtable that unites Cannes with countries like India that are emerging not just as storytellers, but as visionaries of narrative ethics.

India should lead the call for a global young filmmakers’ segment – not just as a platform for discovery, but as a space for mentorship, innovation, and cultural co-creation. If India wants to shape the cinematic conversations of the next decade, it must champion such structural ideas, not only as a content supplier but as an architect of cultural policy.

For long, the Indian film industry has been viewed in binaries: Bollywood vs. parallel cinema, masala vs. meaning, and big budget vs. small impact. Homebound bridges this divide. It shows that India’s cultural exports need not be caught in old frames. A Karan Johar-backed film can be both intimate and important. A mainstream actress can shed the gloss and reveal grit. And a nation that once chased the 100-crore box office club can now chase a deeper connection with global audiences.

This isn’t just a film going to Cannes. This is India saying: we don’t have to be ‘indie’ to be insightful. We don’t have to be ‘global’ to be grounded. And we don’t have to choose between soul and scale anymore.

Cannes 2025, through Homebound, bears witness to a cinematic country in metamorphosis; not abandoning its past, but elevating its future. As India’s filmmakers embrace storytelling rooted in local truths but backed by global ambition, the message is clear: the world should no longer look at India through a singular cinematic lens.

India is not just homebound. India is Cannes-bound. And the world is finally watching with new eyes.

The writer is a former civil servant and writes on cinema and strategic communication. Views expressed are personal.

Inputs provided by Zoya Ahmad and Vaishnavie Srinivasan