Ishaan Khatter, who is receiving praise for his performance in Homebound - India's official entry to the Oscars 2026 - recently reflected on the contrasting journeys between his work in The Royals and his latest film.
Asked about the transition, Ishaan told NDTV, "It's the job." "The pay cheque helped," he quipped.
He went on to explain his approach towards acting and immersing himself in roles.
"That's the fun of doing what we do. And for me, I've always felt that if you're not immersing yourself fully, it's an opportunity lost, because who knows when you get another chance. A lot of actors have this keeda that you get to live so many lives on screen in one life. At least you get to experience the flavour... The immersion is the most exciting part of this vocation, and luckily, you have a director like Neeraj bhai who really pushes the actors to give themselves completely to a role and not just be shrewd about it and use your craft, but really try and live it and give something of yourself (to the character)."
"I Don't Like To Romanticise The Process"
Speaking about the impact of such work on an actor, Ishaan said, "And that's when you come out of an experience change. That's when you feel like you have received parts of the character that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. I don't like to romanticise that process very much."
He added, "But the fact is that when you live as somebody for a few months, it somehow enters your consciousness. I couldn't be prouder than. We got to be a part of a story like this, because I always had this ambition that I would be part of films that move people, but more importantly, be a part of films that really mean something, that can really, really stir something within people. This (Homebound), by far, objectively is the best film of my career so far."
Background
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound takes inspiration from journalist Basharat Peer's article Taking Amrit Home (also titled A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway).
The film traces the journey of two childhood friends - a Muslim and a Dalit - who dream of joining the police force to reclaim the dignity denied to them because of their surnames.
The project is backed by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, with Martin Scorsese serving as executive producer. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, it was also showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival.
