Karan Johar praised Ishaan Khatter highly during the Cannes screening of Homebound, calling him a true “chameleon” of an actor and dubbing him a “national crush” after his breakout role in Netflix’s The Royals. Speaking to Variety, KJo highlighted Ishaan’s versatility, saying he can easily switch from the sexy, captivating persona in The Royals to delivering deeply emotional performances like in Homebound, which deals with themes of marginalisation, caste, and social injustice.
Karan also shared that what attracted him to Homebound was director Neeraj Ghaywan’s unique vision, saying, “He always had me at hello.”
Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter alongside Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa, and has received acclaim for tackling heavy social issues.
Meanwhile, The Royals has made Ishaan a hot topic online, especially for his romantic scenes with Bhumi Pednekar and his striking, shirtless looks. The show’s director Priyanka Ghose recently acknowledged the mixed reactions to the series in an India Today interview, emphasizing that creative freedom varies and that artists don’t always anticipate how projects will be received. She also hinted at updates about a possible second season.
The Royals is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
