Acclaimed filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s latest film, Homebound, has taken the moving story of two migrant workers from Basti to the global stage, but the residents of the small Uttar Pradesh village are still waiting to watch the film that emerged from their own tragedy.

The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and has since been chosen as India’s official selection for the 2026 Academy Awards, draws inspiration from journalist Basharat Peer’s poignant New York Times article titled “Taking Amrit Home: A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway.”

Homebound recounts the heartbreaking journey of Amrit Kumar, a migrant worker from Devari village in Basti’s Bankati block, who died of heat stroke while walking back home from Surat during the COVID-19 lockdown. His friend, Mohammad Saiyub, stayed beside his body on the highway, refusing to abandon him until help arrived — a powerful symbol of friendship and humanity amid despair.

Despite the film’s global acclaim and emotional resonance, the villagers of Devari, where the real story unfolded, are yet to see it. Many residents have expressed pride in their story reaching the world stage but also hope that the filmmakers will organize a local screening so they can experience the film that immortalized one of their own.

As Homebound continues to earn international recognition, it stands as both a cinematic tribute and a stark reminder of the human cost of the migrant crisis that unfolded during the pandemic — a story born in Basti, but now carried to the world.