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Janhvi Kapoor: 'I’ve Always Been Aware of My Privilege And Burdened by The Guilt'
At Cannes, the actress reflects on the film that deepened her sense of purpose.
With Homebound premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Janhvi Kapoor marked a major milestone with her debut at the prestigious event. In an exclusive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, she reflected on the experience, calling the set a true haven for actors due to the thoughtfulness, collaboration, and creative freedom.
Working under the direction of the exceptionally talented Neeraj Ghaywan, she acknowledges a deeper sense of responsibility as an artist. Joined by co-stars Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter in this candid and spirited interview, Kapoor shares heartfelt insights about her time on set, the joy of meaningful storytelling, her director’s remarkable ability to care, and her reflections on privilege and purpose as an actor.
“I spoke to Neeraj sir and told him, ‘Whatever happens, I’m just so happy. I’m so grateful I got to do this film. Whatever is meant to be, will be,’” Kapoor says, reflecting on her feelings before Homebound was officially selected for the grand screen above those red-carpeted stairs.
A brief interaction with Ghaywan during the pandemic had ignited something within the actress—awakening a sense of social responsibility and a renewed commitment, as an artist, to represent the diverse perspectives of the country. It was a calling that Kapoor was now determined to act upon. “There are so many different truths and perspectives, and there's so much conditioning and history and geography that come into play. But we, as members of this society, aren’t privy to most of it. And I really think it is our social responsibility, and our responsibility as people who are artists and in the public eye, to be as curious as possible and try to bring those stories to the forefront as much as possible.”
“It’s a very special quality,” says Kapoor of her director’s uncommon empathy and care for his team and the people around him. “I came back to Bhopal and my trainer stayed back. And Neeraj sir had a back ailment, so they met. And then I came back and I met my trainer Abhishek, and he was like, ‘What a man your director is.’ I think they were meant to spend 30 minutes together, but they ended up spending three to four hours. And he said, ‘He knows my whole life story,’ and that [Neeraj] therapised him and gave him advice. He’s healed him also. He’s got a healing touch, like wherever he goes.”
Kapoor, who is frequently at the center of ongoing discussions about nepotism in the Indian film industry, considers Homebound a turning point in her career. The experience has pushed her to think more deeply about her privilege, become more aware of her surroundings, and utilise her platform to encourage others to think critically and empathetically.
“I think I’ve always been intrinsically aware of my privilege and burdened by a kind of guilt because of it. I’m not saying I’m liberated from that guilt—I’m just aware that there are so many different forms of privilege all over the world. I think what the attempt has been —even with this film and me at least trying to play this character — is to become more aware and observant and hopefully inspire others to do the same. To spread that awareness, to inspire them to introspect if their privilege is hampering someone else’s freedom, if you’re unknowingly or knowingly supporting a system or a hierarchy that benefits only a few and dehumanises some.”