Everywhere you go this week, the one man people are discussing is Ishaan Khatter. Some are talking about his washboard abs and the many shirtless sequences in The Royals, others about how droolworthy he is as a romantic hero. Amid all the love pouring in, the actor’s takeaway is simple — “Trust your instincts”. He tells us that he went into the Netflix series, knowing that it would be entertaining. “When reading the script, I went from one episode to the next quickly. Also, it let me explore different facets of myself as a performer — whether it’s the romance, the comedy, or the drama that I tried to bring more of. It gave me all these opportunities in one role, which is rare,” he assesses.
While his chiselled abs became a talking point, Khatter says the emotionality of Aviraaj’s character was beautiful to him. “When people say that, oh, it`s one page, it`s one minute of screen time. But what if that one line is Rome Burns, that`s literally the biggest sequence of your film. The scene where he is going through his father’s stuff, it was not much to look at on the page. But when we shot it, I think we brought that out. My director allowed me to take the lead. There is a deep wound to his relationship with his father because there`re so many answers that he never got. And he`s still battling it and the inner child in him is still dealing with that. And for me, it was quite simple. Why does he escape? Why he is an escapist is because he`s actually deeply emotionally connected and sensitive about his father. And that`s why he ran away. And when he ran away, he actually didn`t get to be with him in his last moment. So, he has no closure. And the guilt stayed with him. Through the series, you see him get that closure but then also get the shock of his life, obviously. It was essential for you to understand this guy and not just think he`s an asshole.”
Director Priyanka Ghose’s rom-com, also starring Zeenat Aman and Bhumi Pednekar, has become widely popular. What does success like this do to Khatter? “It fuels me,” he says, elaborating, “Whatever I do going forward, I don’t want to pressure myself. Let it be the driving force, but not enough to change the way I make decisions. Also, I have to enjoy this moment. I worked my butt off to get here.”
A still from Homebound
As he revels in this moment, another professional milestone is around the corner. Over the weekend, the actor will head to the Cannes Film Festival for Homebound’s première. Neeraj Ghaywan’s directorial venture, also starring Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, has Martin Scorsese as its executive producer. “Homebound has already given us so much. Bear in mind it`s not released. Nobody has seen the film. We`ve just had the process so far. But even when I finished the film, I felt my heart was full. Neeraj is a very special director. His set is a beautiful place to be. It reminds you of why you want to do this in the first place. Because there are some people that just give a damn. And a lot of people don`t, unfortunately. He really cares about what he`s making. He reminded me of Majid Majidi in many ways. In terms of what he did for me as an actor. Not all directors take the responsibility of your acting. People hire professionals to do their job. And that`s the job. But he`s equally as invested in what you`re bringing. It doesn`t just extend to the lead actor of his film. It extends to every little detail. And who he is, is what you see in his films. He`s very sensitive. He`s very thoughtful. He`s very empathetic. He observes those little things about life. And he`s able to take you through a journey and convey his thoughts and his worldview and his social commentary in his films with such a light hand that it`s never a lesson, it`s never preaching, it`s never a lecture. It`s for you to reflect on and take away whatever you want to take from it. I love him. I, at the drop of a hat, like, will do anything with him.”
Khatter will watch Homebound’s final cut for the first time at the prestigious film festival. At a time when many Indian actors go to Cannes to walk the red carpet and make news for their fashion choices, he is among the rare ones to head there with a movie. “A film festival is for the movies. Cinema is primary. My dream was always to go there with a film. I didn’t want to just go there as an attendee. So, it’s a [dream realised].”
May 21
When director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound will première at Cannes Film Festival 2025
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