When Martin Scorsese retreated to his room at 11 p.m. to watch “Homebound” during the editing process, the legendary director didn’t just provide notes — he became deeply invested in bringing Neeraj Ghaywan’s story of two migrant workers to the screen. Now, shortlisted for the Academy Award for best international feature film, the Indian drama has become a career-defining moment for its lead actors Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa.
The film follows the friendship between two migrant workers navigating identity, displacement and the quest for dignity in India. Khatter, known for his work in “A Suitable Boy,” “The Perfect Couple” and “The Royals,” and Jethwa, who starred in “Salaam Venky” and “Mardaani 2,” both describe the production as transformative.
“This film has changed me as a person, also as a professional,” says Jethwa. “When I see how much I’ve grown after doing this film, the way I used to look at society before and now, I see a lot of changes in a positive way.”
“It really feels like a film that has a very special air around it,” Khatter adds. “We worked on it with utmost sincerity, not for the rewards, but just to bring the story to life in the most authentic way.”
That authenticity caught the attention of Scorsese, who came aboard as executive producer. The legendary filmmaker proved instrumental in shaping the final cut, spending late nights reviewing multiple edits and working closely with Ghaywan on script development.
“He was telling us that it would be around 11 p.m. when he would shut himself out in his room and kind of live with ‘Homebound’ and watch this film,” Khatter recalls of a recent conversation with Scorsese. “It’s just such a privilege and an honor to hear him talk about how he would be alone in his room watching your work.”
During production, the filmmakers referred to Scorsese by the code name “Bade Papa” — which Khatter notes translates to “Big Daddy” in English.
“Meeting him, I got to know why he’s legendary,” Jethwa says of their first in-person interaction with Scorsese. “Knowing that someone legendary like Martin Scorsese has seen your work and is praising your work, it is more than anything to me. It already feels like we have received some big awards.”
The collaboration between Ghaywan, known for his socially conscious filmmaking, and producer Karan Johar‘s commercial powerhouse Dharma Prods. created what both actors describe as an ideal creative environment.
“Karan produced a film like this because he wanted to do something meaningful with Neeraj,” Khatter explains. “He never pressured Neeraj to make a certain kind of film. He only empowered him to make his film the best way that he can.”
Ghaywan employed innovative techniques on set, including what he calls “Code 360” — a protocol where the entire crew speaks in whispers and communicates only in the emotional tone of the scene being filmed. He also created custom music playlists for each actor to help them find their characters’ emotional centers.
“Neeraj has this way where he is very involved with all the actors,” Jethwa says. “He makes this atmosphere that helps actors perform even in a better way. He gave us a lot of weapons, like language, and he also told us to lose weight so that we don’t look muscular on screen.”
The film’s last chapter draws from true events, adding another layer of responsibility to the performances. Both actors underwent extensive preparation to authentically portray their characters’ experiences.
“We wanted to make it authentic and nothing else, and not to pander to a certain gaze,” Khatter says. “The beauty of Neeraj’s cinema is that it’s inherently very Indian but has a universal idiom.”
That universality has resonated at festivals from Cannes to Toronto, with audiences responding to the film’s themes of empathy and human connection.
“What we are craving for right now as humans is empathy,” Jethwa says. “People in some or the other way, unknowingly also discriminate people because of how they look, what they talk, what they eat, and their belief system. This film is very important to each and everyone.”
As the Oscar campaign intensifies, both actors say they’re focused on getting the film seen rather than dwelling on competitive pressure.
“I’m just enjoying this process a lot because only very few actors get this opportunity to even go for an Oscar campaign,” Jethwa says. “I really hope the best film wins, and I also hope that ‘Homebound’ is the best film.”
Khatter adds: “The thing that gives me the confidence to enjoy this moment is the fact that I know we’ve made a beautiful and honest film. The film speaks for itself, and that is the best thing we can do — just make sure it reaches people.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com ’
