**‘Homebound’s Real Family Was Only Paid ₹10,000? Director Neeraj Ghaywan Addresses Rumors**

*By Apoorva Rastogi | October 3, 2025, 4:50 PM*

Neeraj Ghaywan, the director of the much-acclaimed film *Homebound*, has recently addressed concerns and rumors suggesting that the family whose true story inspired the movie was compensated with only ₹10,000. This controversy sparked discussion on social media, prompting Ghaywan to clarify the situation.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Ghaywan explained that the ₹10,000 was a personal and symbolic gesture he made to Ram Charanji (Amrit’s father) years ago during his initial research phase. He emphasized that this amount does not reflect the full remuneration the family received.

> “Some of you have expressed concerns about reports claiming that the family whose life inspired *Homebound* was compensated with a mere ₹10,000, a shamefully low amount. I want to clarify that this sum was a small token I personally gave to Ram Charanji many years ago during my initial research, simply as a parting gesture,” Ghaywan wrote.

He further stressed that neither he nor the producers would reduce such a deeply personal and sensitive story to a mere pittance.

> “Please do not mistake this for the full extent of the compensation provided. Neither I, nor the producers would ever reduce such a deeply personal story to such a pittance. The family’s contributions are invaluable and deeply meaningful to me. We have honored their trust and stories with sincere respect and significant support.”

When asked about the exact compensation amount, Ghaywan chose not to disclose it, saying that sharing such details would disrespect the close bond he shares with Amrit and Saiyub—the original heroes of *Homebound*.

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### About *Homebound*

*Homebound* was officially released on September 26, 2025. The film is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s 2020 New York Times essay *Taking Amrit Home*. It narrates the journey of two migrant friends during India’s COVID-19 lockdown, highlighting their struggles and resilience.

The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, and has been produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Currently, *Homebound* is India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Oscars.

To date, the movie has earned approximately ₹2.9 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.

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Neeraj Ghaywan’s candid clarification aims to respect both the family’s story and their contribution while dispelling misconceptions about the compensation they received.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/homebound-family-got-only-rs-10k-director-reacts-to-rumors/story

**‘Homebound’s Real Family Was Only Paid ₹10,000? Director Neeraj Ghaywan Addresses Rumors**

*By Apoorva Rastogi | October 3, 2025, 4:50 PM*

Neeraj Ghaywan, the director of the critically acclaimed film *Homebound*, has responded to circulating reports claiming that the real-life family whose story inspired the movie was compensated with a mere ₹10,000.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Ghaywan clarified that the ₹10,000 amount was a personal token given by him during the early stages of his research and does not represent the total compensation the family received.

**A Small Token, Not Full Compensation**

Ghaywan wrote, “Some of you have expressed concerns about reports claiming that the family whose life inspired *Homebound* was compensated with a mere ₹10,000, a shamefully low amount. I want to clarify that this sum was a small token I personally gave to Ram Charanji (Amrit’s father) many years ago during my initial research, simply as a parting gesture.”

He further emphasized, “Please do not mistake this for the full extent of the compensation provided. Neither I, nor the producers would ever reduce such a deeply personal story to such a pittance. The family’s contributions are invaluable and deeply meaningful to me. We have honored their trust and stories with sincere respect and significant support.”

Ghaywan chose not to disclose the full compensation amount, stating, “I personally don’t want to mention the number because that would disrespect the bond I share with Amrit, Saiyub—the original heroes of *Homebound*.”

**About ‘Homebound’**

Released on September 26, 2025, *Homebound* is based on journalist Basharat Peer’s 2020 New York Times essay *Taking Amrit Home*. The film follows the journey of two migrant friends during India’s COVID-19 lockdown and stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the movie has so far grossed ₹2.9 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.

*Homebound* has also been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Oscars.

For further updates, follow Neeraj Ghaywan’s official posts on X.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/homebound-family-got-only-rs-10k-director-reacts-to-rumors/story

**‘Homebound’s Real Family Was Only Paid ₹10,000? Director Neeraj Ghaywan Addresses Rumors**

*By Apoorva Rastogi | October 3, 2025, 4:50 PM*

Neeraj Ghaywan, the director of the critically acclaimed film *Homebound*, has recently responded to circulating reports claiming that the family whose real-life story inspired the movie was compensated with a mere ₹10,000.

In a detailed statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Ghaywan clarified that the ₹10,000 mentioned was a personal gesture made during his initial research phase and is not representative of the total compensation offered to the family.

**A Small Token, Not the Entire Compensation**

Ghaywan addressed the concerns directly, writing, “Some of you have expressed concerns about reports claiming that the family whose life inspired *Homebound* was compensated with a mere ₹10,000, a shamefully low amount. I want to clarify that this sum was a small token I personally gave to Ram Charanji (Amrit’s father) many years ago during my initial research, simply as a parting gesture.”

He further emphasized, “Please do not mistake this for the full extent of the compensation provided. Neither I, nor the producers, would ever reduce such a deeply personal story to such a pittance. The family’s contributions are invaluable and deeply meaningful to me. We have honored their trust and stories with sincere respect and significant support.”

Respecting the privacy and personal bond he shares with the real-life heroes of *Homebound*, Ghaywan chose not to disclose the complete compensation amount, stating, “I personally don’t want to mention the number because that would disrespect the bond I share with Amrit, Saiyub—the original heroes of *Homebound*.”

**About *Homebound***

Released on September 26, 2025, *Homebound* is based on journalist Basharat Peer’s 2020 New York Times essay, *Taking Amrit Home*. The film portrays the journeys of two migrant friends during India’s COVID-19 lockdown, highlighting their struggles and resilience.

The movie stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, and is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Garnering significant attention, *Homebound* has earned ₹2.9 crore worldwide so far, according to Sacnilk.

Furthermore, *Homebound* has been chosen as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards, reflecting its critical and cultural impact.

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*Read Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s full clarification on X [here](#).*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/homebound-family-got-only-rs-10k-director-reacts-to-rumors/story