After Karan Johar says he may not make another Homebound, Neeraj Ghaywan shares fan’s post lamenting its ‘3 shows’ vs Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’s ‘100’

It seems that those irked by Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari eclipsing Homebound include the latter's director Neeraj Ghaywan, who in/directly made this clear through social media recently.

By: Entertainment Desk

Kochi | October 7, 2025 12:04 PM IST

3 min read

It seems that those irked by Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari eclipsing Homebound include the latter's director Neeraj Ghaywan, who in/directly made this clear through social media recently.

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari and Homebound, both co-produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, are currently clashing at the box office. (Credit: Facebook/@DharmaMovies)

Despite opening to rave reviews from all quarters, director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound — with world cinema legend Martin Scorsese as executive producer and Karan Johar as co-producer — is struggling at the box office, particularly due to low and ill-timed showings. Although five days have passed since its theatrical debut, the drama, featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles, has managed to gross only Rs 3.68 crore globally, with its daily domestic earnings being less than Rs 60 lakh, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.

While Kantara 2’s dominance of the box office nationwide was predictable, Homebound’s prospects were further hampered by the release of Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (SSKTK) just a week later. Featuring Janhvi Kapoor herself as the female lead, SSKTK was co-produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, which also produced Homebound. Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari has earned over Rs 33 crore in 5 days.

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On Monday, Ghaywan reshared an Instagram story that lamented how Homebound has been shoved into a corner. The fan wrote, “Oh man. I’m still shaken. The scene between Shoaib & Chandan’s mother just broke me!! Take a bow @neeraj.ghaywan @somenmishra @ishaankhatter @vishaljethwa06. Also, this is the first time I’ve seen people clap at the end of the movie. And yet, this important piece of work gets only 3 showings a day while the no-brainer SSKTK has almost 100! Tells you everything, doesn’t it??”

Neeraj Ghaywan’s Instagram story on Homebound vs Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari clash.

Neeraj Ghaywan’s reaction becomes all the more significant when analysed alongside Karan Johar’s recent remark that he may not make movies like Homebound in the future. Discussing his Rs 1,000 crore pact with billionaire Adar Poonawalla’s Serene Productions, selling 50 per cent stakes of Dharma Productions to the latter, Karan told industry analyst Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changers, “Every deal has its own advantages and responsibilities. There was never accountability before this, I just learned the term quarter. Apoorva keeps me on my toes, he says, ‘Not profitable, don’t do it,’ because I had already taken many decisions creatively. I wanted to make certain films for creative satisfaction and to move the bar of cinema. There are many films that weren’t box office hits but are still remembered for what they were. I want to make those films as well.”

Watch Homebound trailer here:

He added, “But now, you have to take every decision with profitability. It is very important to be profitable. We are a commercial enterprise. I made Homebound, worldwide critically acclaimed, but I can’t say if I’ll take such decisions in the future or not. I will feel upset, but I chose this deal for a reason – growth. Growth comes from profit, and profit comes from profitability. I will always be artistic, but it is important to be commercial as well.”

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