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Ishaan Khatter Details Early Hardship, Calls Film-Industry Access '0.1% Privilege'

The Mojo Story interview coincides with renewed attention from Homebound being named India’s Oscars entry.

Overview

  • In a conversation with Barkha Dutt, Khatter said his family hit “financial rock bottom” when he was three or four.
  • He credited his single mother, Neelima Azeem, for steering the family through crisis, recalling a three‑month TV job in Delhi that helped them recover.
  • He described a middle‑class upbringing that ruled out studying abroad and said his interest in academics waned after his parents’ separation.
  • He outlined self‑directed training that included a year of dance, frequent film‑festival attendance, and assistant‑director roles on two films.
  • He acknowledged entrenched privilege in the industry, saying “We’re the 0.1%,” as Homebound’s Oscar selection raises his profile alongside his Netflix series The Royals.