Mumbai, Oct 3 : Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, whose recent release 'Homebound' has been getting a lot of critical acclaim, has quashed the reports of him compensating the family, who inspired the film, with only INR 10, 000.

On Friday, Ghaywan took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a long post, in which he clarified that he did initially give INR 10, 000 to the family but it was only a token of gratitude from his side when the film was under research.

He shared that he and the makers of the film have honoured the family with sincere respect and significant support.

He wrote, 'Some of you have expressed concerns about reports claiming that the family whose life inspired Homebound was compensated with a mere INR 10,000, a shamefully low amount. I want to clarify that this sum was a small token I personally gave to Ram Charan ji (Amrit's father) many years ago during my initial research, simply as a parting gesture. 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 families' contributions are invaluable and deeply meaningful to me'.

He further mentioned, 'We have honored their trust and stories with sincere respect and significant support. They have expressed their happiness with me about the same and I personally don't want to mention the number because that would disrespect the bond I share with Amrit and Saiyub, the original heroes of 'Homebound''.

'Homebound' is a poignant Indian drama, which explores the deep bond between two childhood friends, Shoaib, a Muslim, and Chandan, a Dalit, as they navigate injustices of the system and societal prejudices in their pursuit of dignity and meaningful work.

It is set against the backdrop of India's deeply entrenched social divisions, the film delves into themes of identity, caste, and faith through a profound male friendship.

/IANS