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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Legendary Filmmaker Martin Scorsese Boards Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound As Executive Producer I n a rare and distinguished collaboration, legend- ary filmmaker Martin Scorsese has come on board as executive producer on Homebound, the new feature from National Award-winning director Neeraj Ghaywan. The film, which stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, is set to make its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, which runs fromMay 14 to 25. Homebound marks Ghaywan’s return to the big screen and to Cannes, a decade after his debut film Masaan premiered at the festival and won two awards. In the years since, Masaan has continued to deeply reso- nate with audiences in India and beyond. Talking about the collaboration, Scorsese said, “I have seen Neeraj’s first filmMasaan in 2015 and I loved it, so when Mélita Toscan du Plantier sent me the proj- ect of his second film, I was curious. I loved the story, the culture and was willing to help. Neeraj has made a beautifully crafted film that’s a significant contribution to Indian cinema. I am glad the movie is an official selec- tion at Un Certain Regard in Cannes this year.” Sharing his thoughts on the film, producer Karan Jo- har, said, “Homebound is an extraordinary confluence of talent, vision and storytelling at its finest. Having Martin Scorsese, a true legend of cinema, lend his wisdom and support to Neeraj’s remarkable vision elevates our film to a rare artistic height. Neeraj Ghaywan continues to be one of the most authentic and insightful voices in Indian cinema today, and we are immensely proud to support him on this journey. With an incredibly gifted cast and the prestigious stage of Cannes, we eagerly look forward to sharing Homebound’s powerful story with audiences around the world.” Reflecting on this collaboration, Ghaywan adds, “To have an icon like Mr. Scorsese lend his name to Home- bound is an honor beyond words. I’m deeply grateful to our co-producer Melita Toscan, who introduced us to him. Mr. Scorsese mentored us through the screenplay and multiple rounds of editing. He listened with care, understood the cultural context and offered thoughtful, incisive notes each time. His kindness and commitment are extraordinary, and to have him nurture our film has been both a rare privilege and a profoundly humbling experience.” Homebound has also secured French distribution through Ad Vitam, the acclaimed distributor behind celebrated international films, including Oscar-winners A FantasticWoman and Son of Saul, which also won the Grand Prix at Cannes. Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra, with Marijke deSouza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier as co-producers, Homebound promises to carry forward Ghaywan’s exploration of hu- man relationships and social landscapes in modern-day India. With Scorsese’s backing and its Cannes selection as the sole Indian title this year, Homebound sets the stage for a film that promises to captivate audiences worldwide. By a StaffWriter A poster of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound that now has Martin Scorsese as Executive Producer. PHOTO:Hype PR Entertainment News India Times (May 3, 2025 - May 9, 2025) May 9, 2025 26 New Actor Shubhangi Launched By Anupam Kher In Tanvi The Great Ever since the first announcement of Tanvi the Great, the identity of the lead actress had been kept under wraps. In a grand reveal, producer and director Anupam Kher introduced Shubhangi as the film’s leading lady, with superstar Kajol unveiling the future actress of Indian cinema and offering her love and best wishes. The introductory teaser of ‘Meet Tanvi’ has also been released, showcasing Shubhangi as Tanvi. The teaser takes us into the world of the film that showcases Tanvi as dif- ferent. The debutant was selected from Anupam Kher’s renowned acting school, Actor Prepares, where she has trained extensively over the years. Speaking about the casting, Anupam Kher said, “When it came to casting Tanvi, I was determined to discover a fresh face and select a talent frommy institute, Actor Prepares, in order to offer a newcomer this opportunity. Shubhangi, the chosen one, is an exceptionally bright tal- ent. She has given her all to portray Tanvi — a story very close to my heart. I hope audiences embrace her with the love and encouragement she truly deserves. I cannot wait for the world to witness the magic she has brought to my film. I am deeply grateful to Kajol for her support and for giving Shubhangi so much love on this important occasion.” Reflecting on her debut, Shubhangi said, “I am im- mensely grateful to Anupam Kher-sir and Actor Prepares for giving me this opportunity to be the face of such a special film. My joy had no limits when I got to know I will be playing the role of Tanvi. Embodying the character of Tanvi has been an overwhelming yet an enriching ex- perience. Working alongside so many legends in the film has strengthened my foundation, and I am determined to continue working even harder.” Stating that it was a long- standing dream, Shubhangi said that she would close her eyes and often think that a day like this would come into her life. Tanvi the Great is one of the first few films to intro- duce its technicians and behind-the-scenes team before unveiling its lead actress. The film is set to have its world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, within the Marché du Film. Directed by Anupam Kher, with music composed by Oscar-winner M. M. Keeravani, Tanvi the Great is produced by Anupam Kher Studios in collaboration with NFDC (National Film Development Corporation), whose managing director, Prithul Kumar, was also present, and will be released soon. New singer Shagun, daughter of the late composer-arranger Surender Sodhi, is the voice of Tanvi and was introduced on stage as well. M.M. Keeravani said that Anupam Kher is like family and thanked Neeraj pandey and Shital Bhatia for intro- ducing him to the actor, who also called his music in the film, “Super-duper hit and soulful.” The HODs of various departments of the film were also called on stage in an unique precedent. Anupam Kher also insisted on intro- ducing Ashish, his physiotherapist of a decade back, who had then expressed his wish to act in “just one film.” The press conference saw an unexpected minor and would-be mishap when Anupam’s mother, Dulari Kher, almost slipped and fell when coming on to the stage, but a quick-witted Kajol rushed to support her. A grateful Anupam thanked and blessed her, and when the actress joked that she also almost tumbled, the filmmaker-actor said that the mishap would bring luck to the film. This is Anupam’s first directorial after Om Jai Jagadish, which was made in 2002. The actor stated that this was the first story he felt passionate about, and he would don the directorial mantle again if a similar saga excited him. Anupam was also asked about the importance of launching new faces. The actor replied, “I think it’s very important. But we don’t want to launch faces. We launch talent. There’s a difference. You launch faces for products. Talent is for stories and for cinematic medium. I, myself, am one of them. More than 40 years ago, I got work with Saaransh. I am still here because of my work. Also, I was very clear that I’ll be casting someone frommy school. We need trained actors. When I debuted, you had to look like a certain person. How you look becomes important. This is because the casting director is looking for various faces for various characters.” He added, “This whole idea of hero-heroine has to go. You need actors. Outside India, no one says, ‘Yeh hero hai’, ‘Yeh heroine hai’, ‘Yeh character actor hai’, or ‘Yeh villain hai’. I tried to personally break that myth. I was 28 when I played the role of a 65-year-old man and I sur- vived as a result of that.” PHOTO:Universal PR PHOTO:Universal PR Shubhangi, the new find who plays Tanvi The Great in Anupam Kher’s film. Prithul Kumar, Managing Director, NFDC, Kajol, Anupam Kher, Shubhangi and composer M.M. Keeravani at the launch. By RajivVijayakar