Ishaan Khatter is having a career-defining year, one that includes his OTT debut in The Royals and a robust turn in Homebound, a film that opened the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Flanked by co-actress Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa, Ishaan attended the festival to observe the release of the film in the Un Certain Regard category, one that was given a standing ovation.
A Challenging Transformation
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound offered Ishaan one of the most challenging parts of his career. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India in an interview, he spoke about the rigorous preparation the part needed. “The hardest part was the prep time—getting as close to the character as possible, internalising it, owning it,” he explained. Preceding Homebound with The Royals, Ishaan had no time at all to make the transition. He had to go through a major physical transformation, with weight loss, as well as heal from an injury.
The shoot in a rural area of Madhya Pradesh for almost two months contributed towards the physical and emotional stress. But for Ishaan, the journey was worth it. “The Cannes premiere made all the hard work worthwhile,” he said.
View this post on Instagram
A Powerful Story of Friendship and Struggle
Directed by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, Homebound is a story of two childhood friends—Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter), who is Muslim, and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), who is Dalit—residing in a small North Indian village. Waiting for the outcomes of the police entrance exam, they are confronted with the harsh realities of social and economic injustice.
With its powerful story and impressive performance, Homebound cements Ishaan Khatter’s status as one of India’s brightest young stars on both the domestic and global stage.
