Ishaan Khatter hopes for a time when smaller films like "Homebound" can find box office success at par with mainstream blockbusters, but for that to happen, the actor believes the audiences must also become a "stakeholder" in supporting these stories.

"Homebound", directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, struck a chord with international audiences after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, followed by more such screenings at Toronto and Melbourne. The movie is set to represent India at the Academy Awards next year.

Despite the critical acclaim, the film, which released in Indian theatres on September 26, has only managed to earn Rs 5 crore at the domestic box office.

Khatter, who stars in the movie alongside Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, said he would not label the movie a failure in "any way, shape or form".

"I don't think this film is a failure. I think films have different journeys. As far as the box office is concerned, I think this film is going to have a long life. And this is not coming from a place of... I'm not trying to be deluded or in denial about the box office. I know the numbers very well.

"Our hope is to have it reach as many people as possible. And I'm not going to let up in my efforts in that," the 30-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

"Homebound" is loosely inspired by journalist Basharat Peer’s The New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home (A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway)".

The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their respective backgrounds.

The movie is produced by Dharma Productions' Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta alongside Somen Mishra and Adar Poonawalla. Hollywood veteran Martin Scorsese serves as an executive producer.

If smaller films get good numbers at the ticket window, titles like "Homebound" wouldn't be a rarity, Khatter said.

"One does hope for a time where films like these will also see the kind of numbers that you see a big commercial blockbuster having because that would change things. It would create a kind of culture where films like these are allowed to exist and thrive and be made much more. Unfortunately, you see a rare film like this every once in a while.

"And in order to change that, the audience has to become an active participant, almost like a stakeholder." Still, the actor said he is happy with the response to the movie.

"Call me an idealist or an optimist, but I still think that the way that this film has been showered with love and the people who have seen it, the way that they are going out talking about it and championing it, my hope is that it keeps growing, not only theatrically, but also once the digital release happens, once it makes a little more noise internationally.

"I have personally seen the universality of this film. I've seen the range and diversity of the audiences that have watched it and connected with it." He said the movie had a hectic production and release timeline -- from completing the film to submitting it for Cannes within 40 days, followed by festival runs in Toronto, Melbourne, and Zurich.

"We were pushing till the last minute with everything. With a worldwide release, censorship, etc, it's been back to back... But our efforts are not letting up at all, because in an ideal world, this film will reach the people it represents. That’s why he (Ghaywan) didn’t make it overly artful or inaccessible. It has a very simple and almost mainstream kind of accessibility. I’m very proud of it," Khatter said.

According to the actor, the job is still not done as they will soon embark on a promotional campaign to generate buzz for the movie ahead of the Hollywood award season, which begins with Golden Globes in January and culminates with the Oscars in March.

"I think it's going to be a journey with this film... I'll try and use all of my power to get as many people as I can to watch 'Homebound'. I'm literally on ground level. If I meet people at the airport or they come to me for my other work, I tell them, 'please watch this beautiful film.' I'm a champion for this film in every way. So I'll try and leave no stone unturned from my end." Besides, the actor said he is counting on those who have watched "Homebound" to help spread positive word of mouth about the film.

"If anybody's seen the film, if you champion the film, make it a conversation, then you never know who it reaches. That resonance is what matters at the end of the day," he said.

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