‘Homebound’: Neeraj Ghaywan asked Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa to step out of ‘privileged’ lives

'Homebound', starring Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa, has already grabbed attention as India’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars Best International Feature Film category. Directed by

Neeraj Ghaywan

, the film explores the lives of communities often unseen on screen, bringing their stories and struggles to the forefront.

Neeraj Ghaywan explains his casting choices

Recently, at a promotional event, Ghaywan explained what made him cast the lead actors for the role. As quoted by News18, speaking about his casting choices, Ghaywan said, “Humare Bharat mein har tarah ke log hain. Main sirf ye dekh raha tha ki in mein acting ka talent, aur andar se bhookh honi chahiye ki is kirdaar ko hum bohot shiddat se nibhayenge. (In our India, there are people from all walks of life. What I was looking for was acting talent and a deep inner hunger to portray the character with intensity).

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Responsibility representing people from marginalised community.

He further added, “All three are good actors. But for me, just performing well or delivering lines effectively was not enough. I felt that we were representing an entire community. There are probably thousands of Chandans, Shoaibs, Sudhas, and Vaishalis in our country, and telling their stories is a big responsibility. So I wanted all of them to understand their characters with that same depth and sincerity."

Neeraj Ghaywan reveals how actors prepared for their roles in ‘Homebound’

Ghaywan revealed how he prepared the actors for their roles.

“For example, the first step in their preparation was that I gave all three of them the book 'Annihilation of Caste' to read. After that, I explained everything to them. We visited villages so they could have real experiences. Because someone else’s lived experience can never be fully replicated. You can only get as close to it as possible. That’s why these actors were cast," he said.

Director encouraged actors to leave privileged lives

He added that he wanted the actors to leave behind their own privileges to truly feel their characters. “Toh main chaah raha tha ki yeh kirdaar aapke paas nahi aane wala. Aapko jaana hoga. Aapko safar tay karna hoga. Privileged lives se nikal ke aap waha jaoge aur uss cheez se rubaru hoge tabhi wo aap mein andar samayega. (This character is not going to come to you — you have to go to it. You have to undertake that journey. You have to step out of your privileged life, go there, and confront that reality.

Only then will it truly settle within you)," he explained.'Homebound' marks Ghaywan’s return to direction after nearly a decade. The film is set to hit the theatres on September 26, 2025.