Homebound actor Vishal Jethwa says mother cleaned people’s homes, father sold coconut water: ‘I was so low about going to Cannes, I don’t know English’ | Bollywood News

Actor Vishal Jethwa, who is currently riding high after the premiere of his film Homebound at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, recently opened up in an interview about the emotional turmoil he faced before attending the event. Vishal revealed that he almost skipped the festival due to fear and self-doubt.
He said, “I was really scared… even before I reached there, I was extremely nervous… because I’ve always had this weakness, how will I talk to people in English? I was completely unfamiliar with the environment, and everyone I was going with was very experienced. I was really scared about how I would present myself in front of everyone. In fact, I was feeling so low before going to Cannes, the pressure was so intense that I thought of backing out.” He continued, “I wasn’t worried about what I might lose. I had made up my mind. But after talking to a few people who counselled me, I automatically gained a lot of confidence. Once I reached there, there was this energy that was driving me. I was wearing my confidence before I wore my attire, and that was the most important thing. That’s why, when I got there, I was enjoying myself, I was living the moment… because I had nothing to lose.”
Speaking further about how he went from presenting his film at Cannes to now working with leading production houses like Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions, Vishal opened up about his humble beginnings. “I come from a very poor family… and I was actually confident there because my ser told me before I left, ‘Don’t stress so much… because you are the son of a domestic help.’ She literally cleaned people’s homes, did jhadoo-pocha… she sold sanitary pads in a supermarket. My father sold coconut water and I’ve seen all this.” He further added, “Today, of course, my life has moved beyond that. And I don’t even realise how big a thing privilege is. 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.”
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Vishal went on to talk about the nepotism debate “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. Because when you work hard and move ahead, that’s when people want to take photos with you.”
He also added a powerful thought on legacy and privilege: “We feel like their problems are different, but that doesn’t mean their problems are lesser. I want to say something about privilege — if I have a son tomorrow, he’ll get the Jethwa surname, and that will bring him both benefits and disadvantages. So privilege works like that too.”