Ishaan Khatter hopes for a time when smaller films like ‘Homebound’ can find box office success at par with mainstream blockbusters. Still, for that to happen, the actor believes the audience must also become a ‘stakeholder’ in supporting these stories.
‘Homebound’, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, struck a chord with international audiences after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, followed by more such screenings at Toronto and Melbourne. The movie is set to represent India at the Academy Awards next year.
Despite the critical acclaim, the film, which was released in Indian theatres on September 26, has only managed to earn Rs 5 crore at the domestic box office. Khatter, who stars in the movie alongside Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, said he wouldn’t label the movie a failure in ‘any way, shape or form’.
“I don’t think this film is a failure. I think films have different journeys. As far as the box office is concerned, I think this film is going to have a long life. And this isn’t coming from a place of... I’m not trying to be deluded or in denial about the box office. I know the numbers very well. Our hope is to have it reach as many people as possible. And I’m not going to let up my efforts in that,” the 30-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.
‘Homebound’ is loosely inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s ‘The New York Times’ article ‘Taking Amrit Home (A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway)’. The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and a Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their respective backgrounds.
If smaller films get good numbers at the ticket window, titles like ‘Homebound’ wouldn’t be a rarity, Khatter said. “One does hope for a time where films like these will also see the kind of numbers that you see a big commercial blockbuster having, because that would change things. It would create a kind of culture where films like these are allowed to exist and thrive and be made much more. Unfortunately, you see a rare film like this every once in a while. And to change that, the audience has to become an active participant, almost like a stakeholder.”