“It’s not the identity we’re born into that traps us. It’s the one we’re denied the chance to create.” — Ishaan Khatter
In a world increasingly defined by labels, Homebound arrives as a quiet but forceful reminder of what it means to exist with dignity. We spoke to Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa at the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival, where the film was met with an overwhelming response, about identity, family, and the systems that continue to shape who is seen and who is sidelined.
Full Interview Below:
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and supported by Martin Scorsese, Homebound follows two young men navigating a society that reduces them to checkboxes long before it recognises their humanity. It is a deeply rooted Indian story, yet one that speaks far beyond borders.
At the centre of Homebound are Shoaib, a Muslim boy, and Chandan, a Dalit boy, both from rural northern India. Their journey is not about extraordinary ambition, but about something far more fundamental: the right to live without humiliation. “The film shows the obstacles they face just to be able to live a life of dignity,” says Khatter. “But in some way or another, we’ve all felt boxed in, unwelcome, or othered. That’s where the universality comes from.”
Jethwa echoes this sentiment, pointing to the weight of the systems the film confronts. “We’re talking about a 2,000-year-old system that dehumanises people,” he says. “And the most painful part is that this discrimination often exists in places where you’re meant to feel respected and safe.” For both actors, Homebound is not simply a social drama, but a mirror held up to everyday realities that are too often ignored.
Family and belonging sit at the emotional core of the film. For many, the dream is simple: make your family proud, earn a living, and find your place in the world. Yet Homebound reveals the quiet pressures that accompany that dream. “Family is where we feel most comfortable, where we can be ourselves,” Jethwa reflects. “It’s where we go when things become difficult, whether financially or mentally.”
Khatter expands this idea further, noting that the friendship at the heart of the film becomes its own form of family. “Home isn’t always a place,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s the bond you build when the world keeps trying to push you down.” In Homebound, connection itself becomes an act of resistance.
That sense of equality extended beyond the screen and onto the set. Both actors credit Ghaywan for fostering an environment built on respect. “On Neeraj’s set, everyone is called by their name,” Khatter says. “Nobody is reduced to a title. Everyone has agency.” Jethwa adds that this approach made the filmmaking process feel collaborative rather than hierarchical, reinforcing the film’s core message.
Despite the emotional weight of the story, moments of warmth punctuated the shoot. From shared meals to inside jokes, the camaraderie between the actors became a counterbalance to the heaviness of the material. “It was emotionally demanding,” Khatter admits, “but incredibly satisfying. When we finished the climax scene, there was a collective sense of relief.”
As Homebound prepares to reach a global audience on Netflix, both actors spoke about the responsibility of telling such a story on an international platform. “The purpose of art isn’t always to give people what they want,” Khatter reflects. “Sometimes it’s to give them what they don’t even know they need.” The film’s reception at festivals, from Cannes to Marrakech, suggests that audiences are ready for stories rooted in empathy rather than spectacle.
Neither actor hesitates to credit Ghaywan as the driving force behind the film. “He spent three years writing this,” Khatter says. “He’s given his life to it. This is an honest film, and we don’t always get to see that.” That honesty allows Homebound to confront uncomfortable truths without preaching, trusting its audience to engage emotionally.
When asked what message they would offer to anyone who feels weighed down by a world stacked against them, Khatter returns to a line that encapsulates the film’s spirit: “Identity isn’t what’s been imposed on you. It’s what you create for yourself.”
In that belief lies the quiet power of Homebound: a reminder that even within systems designed to deny dignity, the human spirit continues to seek belonging, connection, and hope.