Ishaan Khatter express he faces a unique challenge in Bollywood, constantly gets feedback, ‘I look too young’

Ishaan Khatter is enjoying the success of his Hollywood debut film The Perfect Couple, which is now streaming on Netflix. Starring alongside Nicole Kidman, Ishaan’s latest project marks an important milestone in his six-year journey as an actor.
In a candid chat with indianexpress.com, Ishaan Khatter shared his thoughts about his ambition and career. The talented actor admitted that his pursuit of meaningful projects knows no bounds, driven by a passion for quality work. However, he also talk about a constant challenge in Bollywood – getting typecast due to his youthful appearance. “The most consistent feedback I have received is that I look too young,” Ishaan admitted.
Ishaan’s international projects began with Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds and Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy. His Bollywood debut film Dhadak opposite Janhvi Kapoor further solidified his position in the Indian film industry. Now, after making his Hollywood debut, Ishaan admits that he is not focused on making a name in just one industry.
Ishaan says, “I have never strategised too much. I have been very lucky and have been blessed with such opportunities. I have been in my career for only six years and have been blessed with some great opportunities. I have always tried to diversify my work, I have never been obsessed with making a name in a particular industry. Even now when I am asked whether I want to work more in the West or here, my honest answer is to work wherever there is good work. I will try to make the most of the opportunities that I get and do justice to them. Right now I am enjoying it because I think it is a blessing that I got a start that anyone can look up to and hope for.”
Ishaan then spoke about the difficulties he faced in getting significant roles in Bollywood due to his youthful looks, which he feels has led to unfair assumptions about his acting ability.
“I was 21 when I started. For a long time, the most common feedback I got was that I looked too young. For better or worse, we don’t write very complex and layered roles for young faces and young actors here. So, I was very fortunate to get a chance to start two-three years later with actresses like Maji Majidi and Meera (Nair).”
Does that make him feel bitter? Ishaan replies, “If that’s what you want, of course. It’s something one strives for. At least in my case I did. I was a bit spoilt because I started with Beyond the Clouds and it was a rare role. I just wanted to do something a little different. Even in commercial projects, getting three dimensional roles, bringing in those layers and dimensions is largely an actor’s job, but at the same time being supported by the text is also very important. I think that’s changing and when you get a chance like that and when it’s appreciated and accepted well, you should celebrate it.”
The Perfect Couple was a long-awaited project that took over a year to complete due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Ishaan explains, “It got particularly long because of course the SAG strike happened and we had a few days of work left. We were in the last leg when the strike happened. So, the production was delayed by about seven months. We started shooting in early March, the first day of shooting was with me and Eve, it was March 3, 2023 and we wrapped it up in January 2024. So, yes, it was a long period and I have worked since then, I have shot another series.”