Vishal Jethwa says he dreamt of airplanes living in a chawl, Homebound took him to 5 countries: ‘It’s a dream come true’
For Vishal Jethwa, Homebound is his most special film in more ways than one. The Neeraj Ghaywan directorial has been feted at some of the most prestigious film festivals around the world, including Cannes, where it premiered. It is also India’s official entry for the Oscars. However, Vishal’s biggest achievement from the film is taking his mother to Cannes on a business class ticket.
Vishal Jethwa calls Homebound his dream come true
In an interview with PTI, the actor recalled his humble beginnings and how Homebound gave him an opportunity to travel worldwide. “Like every other child living in a chawl, I would also get amazed by seeing a ‘vimaan’ (aeroplane) in the sky. It was a fascination for us. I had this dream of travelling abroad. I remember whenever one of my uncles, who lived in London, would visit us, we would think, ‘Oh, he is such a big man’. So I had this dream to be on a flight with my mother,” the actor said.
Vishal started his career as a teenager in the TV show Maharana Pratap in 2013. The 31-year-old actor said while working on Maharana Pratap, he first got the chance to travel by a plane, but ironically missed his flight. “I have been in the industry for 15 years, but I have never had the opportunity to travel abroad for work. (But) In the last one year, I’ve done five international trips with my film. I went to London, Switzerland, Paris, Cannes, Dubai and now Canada (TIFF). Homebound brought a lot for me, both in my life and as an actor.”
But he maintains that taking his mother to Cannes on a business class ticket was the most special of those trips. “However, the joy of travelling with my mother internationally is very precious to me. It was my dream-come-true moment. It might be normal for others to take a flight, and it is easy for them. But for me, it was a special moment to travel with my mom in business class. I take immense pride in this moment,” he said.
Homebound had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival under the Un Certain Regard category and was recently selected to represent India at the Oscars in the Best International Feature category.
All about Homebound
Homebound marks Neeraj Ghaywan’s return to direction 10 years after his much-acclaimed debut with Masaan. Inspired by Basharat Peer’s NYT article “Taking Amrit Home (A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway),” the film stars Vishal alongside Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor.
It revolves around the friendship between Chandan (Vishal) and Shoaib (Ishaan), who aspire to join the police force for respect, but find their dreams challenged by caste, religious barriers and the lockdown during the pandemic. Homebound releases in theatres on 26 September.
