Mumbai-Malad’s Vishal Jethwa makes it to the Oscars

Actor Vishal Jethwa has evolved – from Mumbai’s Malad to Cannes, then Toronto, and now a possible Hollywood outing. The 31-year-old “Homebound” fame is having a surreal moment, as the film and his performance continue to win appreciation and critical acclaim from the audience.

He went on to share that it has been less than a week since the Neeraj Ghaywan film was announced as India’s official entry to the Oscars, and Vishal says it’s like being caught in a whirlwind. He’s yet to accept that this has actually happened. When the buzz started that Homebound was India’s official entry for the Academy Awards, he wouldn’t take calls or even read messages and wanted to hear it from his mother first as he was in shock. It was also the first time he called up Karan (Johar) Sir directly. It’s been awesome for all of them including Ishaan and Jhanvi.

For Vishal, Life, in the past year has been turned turned upside down. The present landmark comes as the acknowledgement of a 15-year-long journey that began with television.
The actor,indelible etched for his role as Akbar in Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap in 2013, went on to do films such as Mardaani 2 rekessed in 2019.and Salaam Venky released in 2023. “When he started, he wished that at least a few people would recognise him and that was going to be the yardstick of his popularity. He thought he had succeeded, only to realise that a chapter of success is always followed by another of struggle. His journey has been slow, and nothing has come overnight for him. He won recognition with TV, then on films. But Homebound has given him the recognition he so eagerly sought. For the actor, consistency is key but more than that its persistence and patience that are very important. especially in an industry like this

Proud of his humble beginnings, Vishal embraces his roots. What stood out amidst international promotions was how he spoke in Hindi, at a time when the Hindi film industry seems obsessed with English. “he studied in a Hindi medium school, and always thought those who spoke in English were really cool. He may not understand or speak English well, but he’s fine with that and he realized this when Neeraj (Ghaywan) Sir told him that just like his screen character he needed to accept himself for who is he”
Homebound marks Neeraj Ghaywan’s return to direction ten years after Masaan. It is inspired by Basharat Peer’s article in the New York Times, Taking Amrit Home, an evocative tale of friendship set against the backdrop of the pandemic. From its premiere at Cannes to bagging the runner-up prize in the International People’s Choice category, the film has won hearts for its immersive.
Vishal, who plays Chandan, confesses he almost didn’t get the part. Hebhad heard Dharma was making a film with two characters, and somewhere imagined himself as one of them. He auditioned for Shohaib’s character first, and someone else auditioned for Chandan. He was dejected when he didn’t make it. Then, after a few months got a second call, asking him to audition again. They told him they were looking for Chandan. Passionately he says that he gave the test twice, and invested everything – body, mind and soul – into getting this part.

News Edit KV Raman