“Seeing Homebound travel this far and....”: Vishal Jethwa reacts as Homebound misses out on Oscars

Vishal Jethwa has reacted to the news that Homebound did not make it to the final nominations for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. The actor, who plays Chandan in the Neeraj Ghaywan directorial, said the film will always remain special to him and that he feels grateful to have been part of the project.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Vishal said, “While we didn’t make the final nominations, being shortlisted among the final 15 films is an honour in itself. Seeing Homebound travel this far and represent India globally has been incredibly special. I will forever be grateful to have been part of this film.”

He admitted that he had some expectations but was not disappointed. “Even though we say that we should not expect anything, but ab jab itna aage aa gaye the to thoda expectations to thi. No matter how many people saw the film, they liked it and called it a strong story and that in itself feels like an achievement,” Vishal added.

Talking about his overall experience working on the film and promoting it for the Oscars, he said, “Iss film ka poore experience ne, chaahe wo shooting ho ya campaigning ho, ya film festivals attend karna ho, isne mukhe bohot badla hai. This has been a liberating experience for me.”

He further reflected on his personal growth during the journey. “I have been able to understand myself better and I have gained this confidence. Sometimes I worry about losing this confidence once all of this is over and whatever I have learnt and built as a person shouldn’t go away,” he concluded.

Homebound’s exit from the Oscars was confirmed when the nominations were announced on Thursday. The films that secured a spot in the category are The Secret Agent from Brazil, It Was Just An Accident from France, Sentimental Value from Norway, Sirat from Spain, and The Voice of Hind Rajab from Tunisia.

If it had been nominated, Homebound would have become the first Indian film in 25 years since Lagaan to compete in this category. Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, the film stars Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter in lead roles, with Janhvi Kapoor in a key role. The project is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and has Martin Scorsese as executive producer.