Janhvi Kapoor ended the year with a new achievement. The actress received the Best Actor of the Year (Female) award for her role in Neeraj Ghaywan’s highly acclaimed film Homebound.
When the actress took the stand at the NDTV Indian of the Year event on Friday night, she reflected on her journey. Janhvi also took the opportunity to thank Neeraj Ghaywan for his immense support.
Janhvi Kapoor Expresses Her Gratitude Towards Neeraj Ghaywan
While receiving the award, the Homebound actress was seen acknowledging the faith Neeraj Ghaywan placed in her. “I’m extremely grateful to Neeraj Sir for seeing something in me that, on most days, I can’t see in myself,” she said.
Further talking about the director, Janhvi added, “I think this man is a national treasure. He is hands down my favourite person… He makes me feel so seen, and I think that if you see this film or everything he’s made…one of the superpowers he has is that he makes people feel seen, which I think is a lost art in today’s day and age. You know what? I hope to god a part of him has been preserved.”
Talking about Jahnvi’s success, Neeraj Ghaywan took the mic and said, “I’m feeling so happy to see Janhvi getting this award. It means a lot to me. Without you this film would have been impossible.”
He continued, “Janhvi, you bring the emotional core of the film, and seeing you take this award and accept it with such grace, it’s just sheer happiness.”
Janhvi Kapoor Reflects on Homebound’s Impact on Her
Sharing how the film deepened her understanding of human emotions, Janhvi shared, “It’s made me sensitive to the unimaginable hope and goodness in it, the beauty in it, the terror in it, the division in it, but also the unity in it.” She continued, “For all of these reasons, I’m extremely grateful to be a part of this journey. Truly honoured.”
“There are tangible things, like the awards or the recognition or the crazy world tour that the film has been on. But in the ways that it has made me recognise the person I want to be and the kind of artist I want to be, it has made me sensitive to the cracks in our society,” she added.
Alongside Janhvi, Homebound starred Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa in the lead roles. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Homebound was also selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film for the 98th Academy Awards.