Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, has been selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) as the country’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Khatter, who plays the role of Mohammed Shoaib Ali in the film, expressed his excitement, stating that he is very proud to be a part of it.
Ishaan Khatter Reacts To Homebound's Oscar Entry
On Monday, September 22, ahead of the film's theatrical release, a press conference was organised in Mumbai, where Ishaan, Vishal and director Neeraj Ghaywan reacted to the film's selection for Oscars. "This is the film I am proudest of. Bhaut garv hai mujhe ispe....It's an extremely important film. Neeraj bhai has made this movie with a lot of thought so that it can reach a wider audience," Ishaan said.
Vishal Jetwa Shares Advice Given By Aditya Chopra
Further, Vishal, who plays Chandan Kumar, said that to portray the character, he followed a kind of ‘guru mantra’ that producer Aditya Chopra had once shared with him during their work on Mardaani 2.
"When I first met him, he told me, 'Surrender yourself completely to the director.' That advice has stayed with me, and I still follow it. I did the same here..I simply surrendered. Beyond that, I honestly don't know what more I have done. When I met Neeraj sir, I carried only one thought in my mind: he has invested so much time and effort into this film, and I wanted to honour that," Vishal shared.
The film was earlier screened at Cannes 2025, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). It is now all set to be released in Indian theatres on September 26.
