Homebound Star Vishal Jethwa On Fear Of Facing Language Barrier: Felt If I Talk In Hindi... - EXCLUSIVE

Vishal Jethwa, recently seen in Homebound, has opened up about his fear of facing a language barrier in the film industry. In an exclusive interview with Zoom, the actor admitted to having a fear of being

judged if he spoke in Hindi. The actor discussed this while mentioning that he related to Chandan Kumar's character in a 'different aspect'. While Chandan hid his identity in the film, fearing that he would be judged, Vishal struggled to accept himself completely.

Vishal Jethwa on fear of facing language barrier

During a candid chat with us, Vishal said, "After doing the film, I realised that there is one thing in me that I couldn't even figure out. I was searching for the answer and solution. Even I wasn't able to accept myself fully. Firstly, I wasn't able to know myself and then accept myself."The Homebound star further shared how he could, somewhere, relate to his character Chandan's journey. "Mujhe aisa hi darr language barrier ko leke lagta tha. Mujhe lagta tha if I talk in Hindi, log mujhe judge karenge aur mujhe ek class mein daal denge ki yeh Hindi-speaking actor hai, inko alag role nahi de sakte. Ye iss tareeke ka actor hai, ye iss tareeke ke hi kirdar karega. Ye mujhe darr lagta tha," shared Vishal.ALSO READ - Homebound Actor Vishal Jethwa Says No Religion Is Good Or Bad: Apni Baat Prove Karne Ke Liye... - ExclusiveThe actor also admitted, "Mujhe lagta tha ke main logo ke kandhe se kandhe milakar chal nahi pa raha hoon. I was working and had worked with A-list actors and legendary actors. But still I felt (that). Jab ki voh meri taarif karte the, mujhe lagta tha ki nahi yaar, main inke layak nahi hu, because mujhe lagta tha agar aapko English nahi aata hai toh, toh aap ek poshness mein nahi ho."(Loose translation: I used to have the same fear regarding the language barrier. I used to feel that if I spoke in Hindi, people would judge me and put me in a category that he is a Hindi-speaking actor, he cannot be given different roles. He is this type of actor, he will play only this type of character. I had this fear. I used to feel that I am not able to walk shoulder to shoulder with people. I was working and had worked with A-list actors and legendary actors. But still I felt. While they would praise me, I felt that I am not worthy of them.)

Vishal Jethwa on overcoming his fear

As the conversation continued, Vishal recalled his humble upbringing. "Meri upbringing bohot alag rahi hai. Mushkil se meri mummy-papa mujhe Gujarati medium school mein padha paaye hai. Aur maine college life zyada jee nahi hai because of many things like maine young age mein kaam karna shuru kar dia. College life nahi dekhi, padhai-likhai acchi nahi ki... whatever I've learnt is through the experience I've had. Ye saare reasons ke baare mein main kabhi sochta hi nahi tha aur bhul jaata tha. Then, I could accept myself."(Loose translation: My upbringing was very different. My parents barely managed to put me in a Gujarati medium school. And I didn't really enjoy college life because of many things, like I started working at a young age. I didn't experience college life, I didn't study well... whatever I've learned is through the experiences I've had. I never thought about all these reasons and I would forget them.)Meanwhile, Vishal's film Homebound with Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor is India's official selection for Oscars 2026.