WATCH! EXCLUSIVE | Ishaan Khatter on Neeraj Ghaywan directorial Homebound’s Oscar entry: ‘This is the film that I am proudest of; so happy…’

Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound’ has been selected as India’s official entry for Oscars 2026 in for Best International Feature category. Produced by Dharma Productions, the film features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost, Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa talk about their roles in _Homebound_ and how going back to the village of Shoaib and Chandan changed their lives.

WATCH the full video interview here with Neeraj Ghaywan, Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa here:

Edited excerpts from the interview:

On Homebound’s Oscar entry…

Ishaan Khatter: I was literally flying in the air when I got the news. I was on a flight and all of a sudden, I got a barrage of messages and I couldn’t quite fathom what had happened. My phone was literally blowing up. It was a surreal moment and I was physically and mentally up in the air when this happened.

How do you feel to be a part of this project?

Vishal Jethwa: I feel very proud to be a part of this project. And I will be proud of this throughout my life that I was part of this project. When I got the Oscar news and now that the film is releasing in cinemas, my first day of shoot, my first day of audition and also my first days of acting class are flashing in front of my eyes. I am very blessed that this film is getting international recognition.

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I want to add one more thing… you are from firstpost.com right? I did an advertisement for Firstpost where I had to throw the newspaper. I am so blessed that today I am sitting with you and giving an interview for Firstpost. (laughs)

Ishaan: I am so proud that this film (Homebound) got selected. In the last seven to eight years, this is the film that I am proudest of. I am so happy that Homebound is representing India. I really feel that Homebound needs to be seen and heard.

The film is so touching, but Ishaan did you cry when you read the script for the first time?

I didn’t physically cry, but I think it gutted me completely. We had a very beautiful experience where one of the things we did to prepare for this film was Neeraj, Vishal, Shridar Dubey and I. We all went to Barabanki and we spent many days in villages, interacting with people and sitting with them in their homes. This helped us get closer to understanding these characters better. Reading the script together there was bringing us closer to each other. For the last scene narration, we sat under a tree and during the very last bit of the narration there was a storm that hit the village. This kind of connected us to the scene. It was almost a spiritual experience that we had and I will never forget this.

What was your preparation like Vishal?

Vishal: My very first step to my preparation is to listen to my director. Secondly, I read the script thoroughly because that is the weapon. Neeraj very specifically told me that not just act the character of Chandan, try and understand his life and his backstory. So, going to the village really helped me.