Vishal Jethwa reveals 'mother cleaned houses' for a living; he 'had doubts' about attending Cannes due to poor English

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Actor Vishal Jethwa recently marked his Cannes debut with the premiere of his film Homebound at the prestigious film festival. In a candid conversation with Zoom, Vishal reflected on his humble beginnings and revealed that just days before walking the red carpet, he had serious doubts about attending Cannes. (Also Read: Vishal Jethwa takes mom to Cannes Film Festival, shares pics from business class air travel: 'Bachpan se sapna tha')
Vishal admitted feeling extremely nervous ahead of his trip to the Cannes Film Festival. He was apprehensive about communicating in English and found the environment unfamiliar and intimidating. Surrounded by experienced professionals, Vishal felt overwhelmed and under pressure. Just a day before leaving for Cannes, the anxiety weighed so heavily on him that he contemplated not attending the event at all.
When asked if he could relate to his character in Homebound, Vishal revealed, "I also come from a poor family. I was so confident at Cannes because my sister told me, 'Don't be so stressed,' because in a literal way, I am the son of a domestic help. Main ek kamwali bai jo hoti hain, unka beta hun (I am the son of a woman who worked as a domestic worker). Meri mumma ne logon ke ghar pe jhaadu pochha kiya hai (My mother used to sweep and mop people's homes), she used to sell sanitary pads in a supermarket. My father used to sell coconut water. I have seen all of this. And I could relate all this to it. But not now, now my life has moved beyond that. But privilege is such a big thing — I never knew that."
He added, "Also, we tend to think privilege is only a positive word, that it only brings benefits. But that's not true. With privilege comes more responsibility. Like my co-actors, Ishaan and Janhvi, they've had privilege in their lives. We tend to think that the opportunities they've received mean their lives are sorted — but that's not true. They have to work just as hard. Many directors' and producers' kids have come and gone, but not all have succeeded. It's about who the audience accepts. So, just having privilege doesn't guarantee anything. They might get the opportunity, sure. We won't get those same opportunities. We have to deliver extraordinary performances. That's the difference. But this is not a complaint, just a fact."
Helmed by Neeraj Ghaywan, the film is backed by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra. The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles. Homebound follows the story of two childhood friends from a small village in North India who dream of becoming police officers, hoping the job will bring them the respect they never had. However, as they come closer to their goal, pressure and struggles begin to test their friendship. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation.