“I Was Insecure Because I Couldn’t Speak English”: ‘Homebound’ Actor Vishal Jethwa | The Quint

Homebound, written and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, starring #ishaankhatter, Jahnvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, is India's official entry for the 2026 #Oscars. The film is produced by #KaranJohar's Dharma Productions with legendary filmmaker #martinscorsese as an executive producer. The cast and director of the film spoke about Jethwa’s insecurity about not speaking English in an industry where the language is considered 'classy', Khatter’s versatility as an actor, how Scorsese’s advice led to “the biggest hurt” of Ghaywan’s career, and the silences the director faced growing up as a Dalit that shaped the film. Quick Guide: 00:00: Introduction 01:31: Ishaan Khatter on the impact ‘Homebound’ had on him 02:33: Vishal Jethwa: "I was insecure because I didn't speak English" 04:04: Vishal on how challenging it was to accept himself 05:56: Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s advice to Vishal 07:16: Ishaan felt seen when working with Neeraj 07:58: Neeraj: "My intention to make 'Homebound' is not to point daggers at anyone" 09:37: Neeraj claiming your space as an artist 10:20: Neeraj: "Dalits were not given chairs to sit in a classroom" 11:00: ‘Homebound’ is a reflection of the silences Neeraj faced growing up 12:01: Neeraj on Martin Scorsese’s heartbreaking advice From exposing misinformation to delivering impactful human rights reporting, our newsroom has relentlessly pursued stories that drive change. We remain committed to asking the tough questions — and we'd love for you to be a part of our journey. Become The Quint’s member and make your support count: https://bit.ly/4j8x6uy For more videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/4gIyCln --------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website for more stories: https://www.thequint.com Check out our Special Projects: https://www.thequint.com/special-proj... Subscribe to The Quint’s exclusive newsletters: https://thequint.substack.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow elsewhere: » Join us on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5y... » Instagram:   / thequint   » LinkedIn:   / thequint   » Twitter: https://x.com/TheQuint » Facebook:   / quintillion   --------------------------------------------------------------- Video: The Quint