It’s been a few days since the country’s most talked-about film hit the screens. Naturally, leading man Vishal Jethwa is still absorbing the wave of love and acclaim for Homebound — India’s official entry to the Oscars. When we get on a call with him, he starts with, “Everyone is talking about the film, and the fact that it’s officially entered for the Oscars,” he says. “Usually, when a film is selected, there’s some debate — people ask, ‘Why this film? Why not another with a better story or performance?’ But this time, I’ve only heard appreciation. That makes me so happy.”
For Jethwa — who had blink-and-miss roles opposite Irrfan Khan in Hindi Medium (2017) and in the Salman Khan-starrer Tiger 3 (2023), then played the antagonist in Mardaani 2 (2019), and a patient suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Salaam Venky (2022) — the journey to this moment is not lost on him. Recalling his first big-screen appearances, he says, “I did a role of a tea vendor in Hindi Medium, a 30 to 40-second character with Irrfan sir. I’m glad I at least got to share that much screen time with him.” Now, people are hailing his act as the moving performance of the year. “Someone told me I’m the next Irrfan Khan,” he says, almost incredulous. “I felt very strange. I couldn’t accept it at all.”
Jethwa, well aware that he is an outsider who has carved a place for himself, doesn’t wish to engage in conversations about nepotism or the lack of a godfather in the industry. He acknowledges that the journey is challenging but accepts that even those with a film background “don’t have it easy”. Rather than complaining, he says, “I take inspiration from people like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar, not from those who keep complaining about nepotism. I accept that nepotism exists. But if you keep complaining about it, it gives a loser’s vibe.”
Jethwa credits his director Neeraj Ghaywan for shaping his performance as Chandan in Homebound. The actor shares that the director advised them “to live the character” rather than act the part. Ghaywan asked him to read Annihilation of Caste. “My [knowledge] about caste and religion is mostly bookish. Experiencing it is very different. Shooting the film changed me. It changed how I looked at society and identity. He’s a director who truly walks the talk. He wanted us to deliver lines in a way that was authentic, not preachy.”
Despite international acclaim, Homebound’s theatrical performance in India has been mixed. Jethwa says he hasn’t tracked the numbers closely, “I don’t think a film like Homebound is made for monetary reasons. Still, I want people to go to the theatres so the message can reach more people.”
New discovery
While film offers are pouring in, what surprised Vishal Jethwa more was when post Cannes, companies and designers approached him for fashion. “Another wing has opened up in my life,” he says.
