Of Stars and Stories: Love, Inequality, and Human Resilience in Film

Even before you read this, close your eyes for a few seconds. Imagine yourself gliding through a silent universe. Stars bloom endlessly, thousands each second, like delicate bursts of light scattered across the infinite. Would you rush to name each one, catalog its features, or simply drift in awe, letting the immensity and mystery of it wash over you? In this vast expanse, every speck of stardust seems small, yet each carries its own light, its own possibility. And just as stars are born into a cosmos governed by forces beyond their control, we too enter life into a world that has already drawn invisible lines.

Even before our first cry is heard, before the APGAR score checks our vital signs, we are labeled and sorted—not just by simple facts of birth, but by gender, surname, religion, region, economic status, skin color, caste, subcaste, and sometimes even by the professions of our ancestors. These markers, in countless permutations, shape the paths we take long before we understand the world enough to dream.

Yet, human beings are resilient. We hope, we struggle, and we persevere, carving meaning in lives that are rarely fair. No field is level, no life impartial, and still, love, friendship, courage, and kindness bloom even in the harshest soil. The films Dhadak2 and Homebound illuminate this truth with tenderness and care, exploring the messiness of life, the ache of inequality, and the beauty of human connection.

Dhadak2, written and directed by Shazia Iqbal and produced by Dharma Productions, unfolds in a semi-urban law college. From the very beginning, tension underlies every interaction. Neelesh, portrayed by Siddhant Chaturvedi, joins the college under a specific reservation category. Despite facing repeated violence and systemic inequity, he retains a profound innocence and hope. He fights not for spectacle, but for dignity, for recognition of his humanity. The story builds toward a rare hopeful ending, a moment of catharsis in a world where fairness is often elusive. Adding depth and warmth to the narrative are Vipin Sharma as Neelesh’s father, Anubha Fatehpura as his mother, and Saurabh Sachdeva as Shankar, each delivering performances that breathe life into the story. Dhadak2 reminds us that courage is not measured in grand gestures, but in the quiet insistence to love, to persist, and to keep moving forward even when the world is unequal.

Homebound, written and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and produced by Dharma Productions, is rawer and more intimate. Based on a true story reported in a 2020 New York Times article by Basharat Peer, it follows Chandan, played by Vishal Jethwa, and Shoaib, played by Ishan Khatter, are friends bound by years of shared childhood, navigating the subtle yet persistent exclusions imposed by caste and religion. They are inseparable, capable of mimicking each other’s family scoldings with effortless humor, yet life tests them as ambitions diverge—Chandan succeeds in the Police Constable Exams while Shoaib falters. Their bond strains, but in moments of despair and vulnerability, it rethreads itself. The story reaches its heart-wrenching peak when Shoaib carries the feverish Chandan across 400 kilometers to their village. Only Chandan’s body arrives in the ambulance, but Shoaib remains the embodiment of loyalty, love, and quiet heroism, offering Chandan’s mother, portrayed by Shalini Vatsa, the sandals her son had bought before the lockdown, a gesture carrying unimaginable weight. Even Janhvi Kapoor, stepping in as Sudha, Chandan’s love interest, delivers a subtle, heartfelt performance that enriches the narrative.

Both films expose the limitations and cruelties of entrenched systems, the cost of power and privilege, and the weight of discrimination, yet they do so with warmth and sensitivity. They are not merely stories of suffering—they are stories of perseverance, human connection, and the fragile, luminous hope that carries us through.

Watching these films is both an act of witnessing and an act of empathy. They remind us that caste, religion, and systemic inequality are not distant or abstract—they are present, alive in the here and now. They invite reflection, conversation, and awareness. Please watch them, share them, talk about them. In doing so, you honor the stardust within us all, the sparks of courage and love capable of lighting the darkest corners of life.

A playful note for cinephiles: if you peek closely, you might notice some amusing coincidences. The law college in Dhadak2 and the regular college in Homebound share the exact same set, with only the name changed. Even the chawl in Dhadak2’s opening scene looks just like the Surat house where Chandan and Shoaib live. It’s as if the films are quietly winking at each other, reminding us that while stories and characters may differ, the worlds they inhabit have a playful continuity.