Actors Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa recently attended the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for the screening of their film, "Homebound." While the film itself garnered positive attention, the trio found themselves at the center of a social media controversy stemming from a viral video clip captured during a media interaction.

The video in question shows Ishaan Khatter engaging in a conversation with a journalist. Seated beside him, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa appear to be engrossed in their own private conversation, with Janhvi whispering to Vishal, who responds, seemingly oblivious to Ishaan's ongoing interview of which they were also a part.

This interaction quickly sparked criticism online. Many social media users accused Janhvi and Vishal of 'disrespecting' Ishaan Khatter during a formal media engagement. They were labelled 'unprofessional' and 'rude' for not paying attention while their co-star was speaking. Sharing the video on X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote, "Honestly, when someone is giving an interview, the other person should have the courtesy to not keep whispering, it's a bit disrespectful to the person speaking."

Other comments echoed this sentiment: "This is hella disrespectful. Ishan run," "Want to school them like a teacher seriously. 5 minute bad mein krlena baatein bhai. Jindgi bhar ka nhi h interview," "Manners are missing," and "This is so rude of them." Another user commented, “why is ishan always around weirdos give him good people to work with like cmon,” while one drew parallels, stating, “What #shahidkapoor went through his brother is also going through which is a good sign , ppl will sympathethise.”

Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter had previously made their film debuts together in the 2018 Hindi film "Dhadak," which was a success. "Homebound" marks their reunion, a heartfelt drama also starring Vishal Jethwa and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, known for his work on "Masaan." The film had generated considerable buzz on social media leading up to its Cannes appearance and its India release is keenly anticipated.

Despite the controversy, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's "Homebound" made a powerful impression at its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, reportedly receiving a nine-minute standing ovation. The Hindi film was lauded for its compelling storytelling and emotional depth. Among those present to support the film were producer Karan Johar, Janhvi's father Boney Kapoor, and her sister Khushi Kapoor. "Homebound" is also produced by Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese serving as an executive producer.

Speaking about "Homebound," Ishaan Khatter expressed his pride in the project, stating, “I gave it everything I had. This is the best possible outcome — to have it go to Cannes.” He also praised the director, adding, “This couldn’t have happened to a better person than Neeraj. I would have championed this film even as a fan.”

In a separate context during his time at Cannes, Ishaan Khatter also shared his views on the rising cost of entourages in the film industry. He remarked, “No one person should have enough people to burden an entire setup. There’s a good bit of tongue-in-cheek fun to have there.” He elaborated on his varied experiences, saying, “My personal experience has been very different on different sets. I’ve worked on A Perfect Couple, where I was literally my own everything, and I had no person with me. In setups like these, you’ve a lot of …we’re used to a lot of help. It can often be funny.”