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Scorsese Mentors Rising Indian Director in Intimate Conversation
14 Nov
Summary
- Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese provided script notes for "Homebound"
- Director Neeraj Ghaywan calls Scorsese his "Cinema Fairy Godmother"
- Screening drew notable supporters including Mira Nair and Padma Lakshmi
On November 14, 2025, Variety unveiled a video of a deeply personal conversation between executive producer Martin Scorsese and director Neeraj Ghaywan following a New York screening of "Homebound," India's submission for the Academy Awards' international feature category.
The intimate discussion revealed Scorsese's three-year involvement with the project, which began during his work on "Killers of the Flower Moon." Ghaywan, who calls Scorsese his "Cinema Fairy Godmother," spoke extensively with the legendary filmmaker about their shared passion for cinema and their connection through French cinema icon Melita Toscan Du Plantier, who produced Ghaywan's previous film "Masaan" and co-produced "Homebound."
The screening drew notable supporters, including filmmaker Mira Nair, television personality Padma Lakshmi, and actor Kal Penn, besides "Homebound" cast members Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa. Ghaywan revealed that the production team used the code word "elder brother" to refer to Scorsese throughout development, keeping his involvement confidential.
Scorsese, who provided script notes while immersed in his three-and-a-half-hour epic, expressed his satisfaction with the finished film, stating, "I've been living with it for about three years. I love the audiences in America to see this picture because I know that it's based on a real story."
