Ishaan Khatter says Homebound not a ‘failure’ despite dismal box office collections: ‘Not being deluded or in denial’
Updated on: Nov 05, 2025 09:22 am IST
Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, earned just ₹5 crore domestically despite rave reviews.
Despite the accolades and acclaim it earned, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound could not translate that into box office success. The film released in India after winning audiences over worldwide at international film festivals. However, it earned just ₹5 crore at the domestic box office. Yet, the film’s lead actor, Ishaan Khatter, doesn’t like to label it as a ‘failure’.
Ishaan Khatter on Homebound’s box office
In an interview with PTI, Ishaan spoke about Homebound’s longevity and said it will be remembered for a long time. “I don’t think this film is a failure. I think films have different journeys. As far as the box office is concerned, I think this film is going to have a long life. And this is not coming from a place of… I’m not trying to be deluded or in denial about the box office. I know the numbers very well. Our hope is to have it reach as many people as possible. And I’m not going to let up in my efforts in that,” the 30-year-old actor said.
Homebound stars Ishaan alongside Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, and is inspired by a true story of two migrant workers during Covid-19 lockdowns. The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their respective backgrounds. It has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars this year.
‘Audience needs to become a stakeholder’
Talking about the need for small films to succeed at the box office, Ishaan added, “One does hope for a time where films like these will also see the kind of numbers that you see a big commercial blockbuster having, because that would change things. It would create a kind of culture where films like these are allowed to exist and thrive and be made much more. Unfortunately, you see a rare film like this every once in a while. And in order to change that, the audience has to become an active participant, almost like a stakeholder.”
Homebound is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and produced by Dharma Productions’ Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta alongside Somen Mishra and Adar Poonawalla. Hollywood veteran Martin Scorsese serves as an executive producer. The film is loosely inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s The New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home (A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway)”.
