Homebound

In the final act Homebound brings Chandan and Shoaib back to the harsh reality they tried to outrun. After endless delays in the police‑recruitment results, Chandan abandons his college studies to take a low‑paid factory job in Surat, while Shoaef, rejected by the exam, leaves a clerical post and later resigns from a sales role after being repeatedly humiliated for his faith. Both end up working side‑by‑side in the same factory, briefly finding a respite from discrimination.

When the COVID‑19 lockdown shuts the plant down, they join the tide of migrant workers desperate to return home. Hired onto a cramped truck, they are forced onto the roof; a cough from Chandan is taken as a sign of infection and the driver throws him off. The two men are abandoned on the highway and must walk for days through scorching heat with almost no food or water. A solitary mother offers them water, but the dehydration and exhaustion overwhelm Chandan. He collapses, slips into a feverish delirium, and finally dies in Shoaeb’s arms. An ambulance later arrives, carries his body back and, because he did not have COVID, allows Shoaeb to take him home.

Months later, as life slowly normalises, Shoaeb receives an unexpected letter: the long‑awaited appointment for the constable post that Chandan had earned years before. He keeps the news to himself, unwilling to add further pain to Chandan’s grieving family. Instead, he honors his friend’s legacy by enrolling in college—fulfilling the dream they once shared. The film closes with Shoaeb at their old meeting spot, where a white pigeon alights beside him, a quiet reminder that Chandan’s spirit still watches over him. With renewed purpose, Shoaeb resolves to keep fighting the obstacles that once held them back, carrying his friend’s aspirations forward.

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 at 15:53