After Homebound’s win at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Vishal Jethwa manifested the film going to the Oscars in a conversation with us. And a few days later, it came true as the Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa-starrer was officially selected as India’s submission to the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category on Friday.
Ecstatic about the feat, the actor says, “Whenever the media manifested something for me, it has always turned out to be true. It happened when a journalist wished for me to work with my favourite actor Katrina Kaif (with whom he did Tiger 3), and now this. I want to thank the media for always standing by me.”
Vishal admits that the film’s journey has been nothing less than monumental. “Very few films have this journey from Cannes to Melbourne (at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne), TIFF and Oscars. When these names are associated with your film, it feels surreal. I still cannot process that this is happening. A lot has happened in the last fortnight itself,” he says.
The 31-year-old shares that he was on a set with his manager when the news of Homebound being selected for Oscars broke, and before she could tell him about it, he stopped her midway. “I told her main koi bhi badi khabar main apni mummy ke saath sabse pehle share karna chahta hun. My mom had called me a few minutes earlier and I couldn’t talk to her then, so I understood it must be something big. So, I called her back and then she shared the news to me first,” he gushes.
Right after talking to her mom, Vishal spoke to director Neeraj Ghaywan, producer Karan Johar, co-stars Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, and even casting director Shanoo Sharma, who gave him his big break in Mardaani 2 (2019). “All the firsts of my career were rushing to my mind– my first day at acting class, first day on set. I had a cut on my foot on the first day of testing for Homebound. I couldn’t even walk and I literally walked in with a cast on my foot,” he shares.
Homebound is the first film for Vishal, Ishaan and Janhvi to reach such milestones, and the actor is excited to share these moments with his co-stars. “This was the first time for all three of us going to a film festival with a film of ours. I was thinking that something has worked for us and all of our stars have aligned in some way with this film, and today we are here. I am so happy that I am sharing my dream with Ishaan and Janhvi. I feel like bhagwan ka bachcha, ki usne mujhe chuna hai to play not just this character but to have this journey that may inspire someone too,” he says.
So, have all these achievements now increased the confidence for the film’s upcoming theatrical release in India? “The confidence is building up, but the nervousness will be there too till the film releases and we see how it connects to the people. I know our film is good and we have trust in it, but the anxiety of how the audience will receive it will always be there. I am enjoying that nervous excitement,” he ends.
