Vishal Jethwa on 'Homebound' missing final Oscars cut: "Being shortlisted itself feels extraordinary"

As ‘Homebound’ failed to make it to the Oscars, Vishal Jethwa said that the film’s journey remains extraordinary for him and added that being shortlisted among the final 15 films from 86 entries was itself a deeply humbling experience, especially given his modest beginnings.

“While we didn’t make it to the final nominations, being shortlisted among the final 15 films from 86 entries itself has been deeply humbling for me. I come from a very modest, local space, where dreams often feel distant, so to see ‘Homebound’ travel this far and represent India on a global platform already feels extraordinary,” he told IANS.

The actor said that this journey has strengthened his belief in honest storytelling and in cinema that comes from the heart. “Every step of this process has been a reminder of how far belief, perseverance and sincerity can take you. I’m deeply grateful to Neeraj Ghaywan for his vision, to Karan Johar for believing in this film and to my co-actors Ishaan and Janhvi for being such inspiring collaborators.”

Vishal said that he carries this experience with ‘pride and gratitude and looks forward to what lies ahead’.

The five films that made it to the final Oscar shortlist are ‘The Secret Agent’ (Brazil), ‘It Was Just an Accident’ (France), ‘Sentimental Value’ (Norway), ‘Sirat’ (Spain) and ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ (Tunisia).

‘Homebound’, directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, also features Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor. The last Indian film to receive a nomination in this category was Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ in 2001. Last year, Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ was not selected as India's official entry, but still earned international recognition.