Vishal Jethwa had one of the biggest moments of his career recently as he got to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival as his film Homebound, co-starring Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, premiered there. Calling it a “surreal” feeling, Vishal Jethwa admits that he was nervous and scared before going to the French Riviera.
“I was worried about how I would present myself. Sab log wahan itni achi english bolenge, main kahin left out na feel karun. I had a lot of nervous excitement. But once I got there, I don’t know what magic happened, I felt so confident. Apart from my clothes, I was wearing my confidence. For those five minutes on the red carpet, I was living my dream,” he says.
Vishal’s outfit at the red carpet also came in limelight and the actor insists it added a layer of confidence. “Mere wo outfit pehente hi logon ka nazariya badal gaya. With Mardaani 2, I made my acting debut, but with this, I made my fashion debut. The golden shoulders felt like they were my wings, and I was flying,” he says.
The film received a good reception at the screening, including a nine-minute standing ovation, and Vishal gets emotional remembering that. “Everyone was crying, and they were happy tears. I touched Neeraj (Ghaywan, director) sir’s feet and hugged Karan (Johar) sir for giving me this opportunity. We were crying because an ovation like that has to be earned. Aap use khareed nahin sakte,” he says, adding, “There were foreigners who were hugging each other and crying after watching the film. They came, shook my hand and even said thank you to me. I felt very proud of it.”
Even before the premiere, Homebound had a big achievement as renowned American filmmaker Martin Scorsese came onboard as an Executive Producer on it. But Vishal shares, “I don't watch many Hollywood films, and the ones I have, many of them were his. So, when his name first came up, I asked who he is. But when people told me about his films, I realised the magnanimity of it. Just to know that a top global director knows my name is more than an award for me,” he gushes.
The actor was accompanied by his mother in Cannes, and he shares why it was a necessity for him: “People are supporting me now, but it was my mum who was always with me. They know me as the actor Vishal Jethwa, but it was my mum who held my hand and took me to auditions. So, she deserves to live my success with me the most. My dream is to walk the red carpet of Cannes with my mum, and I still have that.”
Vishal also asserts that the Cannes experience strengthen his bond with Janhvi and Ishaan. “During filming, we were in character. But here, we got to know each other personally. Janhvi and I had such drastically different family and financial backgrounds growing up, but we share a comfortable zone where we can talk about anything to each other. Even Ishaan and I dance together and have a lot of fun. I feel glad that I got to make my Cannes debut with them,” he says.