From Hiding His Identity to a 9-Minute Standing Ovation: Neeraj Ghaywan’s Journey To Cannes

Long before the standing ovations and red carpets, Neeraj Ghaywan was seated behind a desk at a corporate job, wearing a name that wasn’t his.

Born in Hyderabad, Neeraj followed what many would call a conventional path—an engineering degree, an MBA, and a job at Tech Mahindra. But even with stability and success on paper, something felt deeply hollow. Filmmaking, he realised, wasn’t just a dream — it was a calling.

In a bold move, Neeraj left it all behind. He began assisting Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Wasseypur, learning the craft from the ground up. Just a few years later, in 2015, his directorial debut Masaanpremiered at Cannes and earned a standing ovation. The world had finally taken notice. But behind that applause was a silence he had carried for years.

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Hiding to belong

Neeraj was born a Dalit. And for much of his life, he hid it. He changed his surname to "Kumar", dodged questions about his background, and shrank in classrooms, offices, and friend circles — afraid of what his name might reveal.

Even his house help didn’t know. Nor did his Masaan co-writer, Varun Grover. For years, Neeraj chose invisibility as protection.

It was only after Masaan was met with global acclaim that Neeraj began to speak openly about his identity — and reclaim it. And when he did, that long-held silence found its way into his work.

Telling the stories no one else would

Neeraj didn’t just make films. He created space for the unheard, the unseen.

There was Deepak in Masaan, a young cremator from a Dalit community, dreaming of love and escape. Pallavi in Made in Heaven, a Dalit professor who doesn’t apologise for taking up space. Bharti in Geeli Pucchi, a queer Dalit woman navigating caste, desire, and dignity.

Each of these characters carried parts of Neeraj’s own story. And for many viewers, they marked a shift in Hindi cinema — finally portraying marginalised identities not with pity, but with power.

A voice the world won’t ignore

In 2025, Neeraj returned to Cannes with Homebound, a deeply personal film backed by none other than Martin Scorsese. The result? A nine-minute standing ovation. Emotional, tearful, and proud, Neeraj stood in the spotlight — not as someone hiding behind a borrowed name, but as a storyteller who had found his voice.

As he once said in an interview, "I am the only artist in the Hindi film industry who has acknowledged his Dalit identity."

His courage to speak, create, and reclaim has changed the landscape of Indian cinema — and inspired many to do the same.

Edited by Vidya Gowri