Actor Ishaan Khatter is currently seen in ‘Homebound’ which is now India’s official entry to the Oscars. After being showcased at prestigious global film festivals, the film released in India but did not get the same reception at the box office, as the appreciation and praise. The film addresses and explores themes of caste and faith and in a recent interview, Ishaan also opened up on growing up in an interfaith housefold. His mother Neelima Azeem was raised in a ‘liberal Muslim household’ and she helped him appreciate India’s cultural diversity. Ishaan also spoke about his mother’s separation from his father Rajesh Khatter when he was just four years old. He also became aware at that point about the financial struggles which his mother went through while raising him and his half brother Shahid Kapoor. Neelima was earlier married to Pankaj Kapoor and Shahid was also nearly 3-4years when they got separated. She then married Rajesh Khatter. Talking about his film and his personal view on religion and diversity, Ishaan said during a chat with Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, “There are a few aspects, and I’ll tie them all in. What’s most beautiful about (director) Neeraj Ghaywan’s gaze is that he’s not pointing any fingers, or trying to indict. That’s not the goal of this film. He genuinely wants to empathise with everybody, including his adversaries. He wants to sit down and have a conversation. This film is not an argument; it’s a conversation.”He went on to emphasise the need for open and respectful dialogue on polarising issues. “Religion, for me, has meant many things. Identity, which is a theme of Homebound, ties in with religion. I was born in a mixed-faith household. That, to me, is my idea of my country: unity in diversity. It’s our strength, and it’s what’s beautiful about us as a people. It’s a big part of our identity that’s important to protect. Religion is, and should be, a personal thing. Of course, it unites so many people together, and that’s what’s beautiful about it. But when it’s used to divide, I take a step back.”Reflecting on his early artistic influences, Ishaan recalled, “I grew up watching Pandit Birju Maharaj and my mother performing kathak, and it’s there in my mom so intrinsically. I’ve got most of my education about festivals and the history behind them from my mom. She was born in a very liberal Muslim household.” He also pointed out that the real-life individuals who inspired his and Vishal Jethwa’s characters in Homebound were close friends despite belonging to different religions.Sharing his concern about the current social climate, Ishaan observed that religion is increasingly becoming “more of an excuse to divide people,” something he finds deeply “sad.” He also expressed heartfelt admiration for his mother’s resilience, after separation from his father. He said, “I remember mom doubling up as both parents, and she was also a woman, living her own life and navigating those years. But she sacrificed most of who she was to put the mother first.”
