Mumbai, Oct 23 : Actor Vishal Jethwa, whose film 'Homebound' has been selected as the official entry for the Oscars under the Best International Feature Film category, has expressed his eagerness to explore regional cinema and said that he has never looked at movies through the lens of language.

Speaking about his vision as an artist, Vishal, who wants to try his hands in South Indian films and projects Gujarati, told IANS: 'I've never looked at cinema through the lens of language. A good story can travel anywhere, and I want to be part of that movement. Every regional industry in India has something special ' a unique way of expressing emotion, culture, and rhythm. I'd love to explore that, whether it's Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, or Gujarati cinema.'

He added: 'It's all one big creative universe, and I want to experience it fully. 'I don't want to be confined to labels like 'Hindi actor' or 'Bollywood actor.''

The actor said his dream is to be 'recognised as an Indian actor'.

'Someone who belongs everywhere and to everyone who loves cinema. The beauty of the times we live in is that audiences no longer care where a story comes from; they only care about how it makes them feel.'

'I want to connect with that audience ' across languages, cultures, and regions ' through honest performances.'

Talking about Homebound, the film is directed by National Award-winner Neeraj Ghaywan.

Produced by Dharma Productions, the film follows two childhood friends from a small village in North India dream of becoming police officers, hoping the job will bring them the respect they never had.

However, as they come closer to their goal, pressure and struggles create problems in their friendship. The film also stars Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter.

The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and reportedly received a nine'minute standing ovation following the screening.

Vishal started his acting career in 2013 by landing the lead role of Akbar in Bharat Ka Veer Putra ' Maharana Pratap. In 2015, he was roped in to play Bali in Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman. A year later he landed an important role as a terrorist in Diya Aur Baati Hum.

He made his Hindi film debut as an antagonist in the 2019 film Mardaani 2 starring Rani Mukerji.

/IANS