I was speaking to
your Dad (Rajesh Khattar) and he told me that you always wanted to be an
actor...
That's true. I didn’t have to verbalise it to my family. It was starkly evident what I wanted from life. I was extremely passionate about films
since childhood. I was dancing and do a lot of drama at home and started
watching cinema from a very young age. 
Ishaan Khatter With His Father Rajesh Khatter
When I was 7 or
8, my brother Shahid (Kapoor) stepped into Bollywood. I used to visit the
sets with him. And I was quite observant.
Your Dad also
said that you watch a lot of world cinema...
Cinema is
history, cinema is our roots. We can communicate our feelings on issues through
cinema. I try to absorb a wider range of cinema because there is much to
learn from it. Coincidentally, I am representing a film which is
representing world cinema. Who would have thought that Majid Majidi Sir would
come up with something in Hindi?
Cinema was a part of you so early in your childhood. What about your academics?
I had interest in studies till 8th. After that, my attention span started
dropping and my grades started falling. Suddenly, I was doing well in only
languages. I wanted to read about Cannes and other film festivals. Aur kuch
dhyyan hi nahin lag raha tha. Especially Maths and Accounts became very
difficult for me. My mom (Neelima Azim) got scared. We had a chat. Thankfully,
I could make her understand that I wanted something else from life than just
Maths, Accounting or even Science.
I started
training as a dancer. I started with western dancing. My mom was an
expert in Kathak, but Kathak per se never fascinated me. 
A Still From Beyond The Clouds
You acted in a
few films... brief roles?
Oh yeah, I did
Life Ho To Aisi and Udta Punjab. Both happened by accident.
Tell us about
those accidents...
(Laughs) I was 7 1/2 when I was on the sets of Life Ho To Aisi and seeing seven
other kids in the frame, I insisted that I wanted to be a part of that gang.
Shahid requested the director--- and that's it.
And Udta?
Well, in Udta, it
so happened that I was assisting--- and Abhishek Chaubey suddenly wanted a guy
who looks sanki (eccentric) and is about 19-20.
How did Beyond
The Clouds happen? Where were you when the offer call came?
Interesting
question. I was in a grocery store and had gone to buy milk. Honey Trehan
(casting director) who had worked on Udta Punjab too, called me. When I reached
him and learnt that it was going to be a Majid Majidi film, I knew my life
could change if I clinched it.
Beyond The Clouds Poster
I underwent
auditions, I could see myself in Beyond The Clouds even before it had started
to roll. I was very curious to know the story and practically everything---
but Majid Majidi Sir met me only 5-7 minutes and asked me to send him a tape of
how I would do a couple of scenes in my style, which he obviously wanted in the
film.
I shot those
scenes on the phone, and then I was asked to shoot myself dancing in the rain.
After that I
slept off for few hours. Around 6.30 pm when I got up, I saw a missed called from Trehan. I called him
and he said: Go to the rooftop of your building and scream that you are the
lead actor of Majid Majidi's next.
Whom did you give
the good news first?
Mom. 
Ishaan Khatter With His Mother Neelima Azeem
We were
overjoyed, and maybe she was more happy than I was.
And then, I broke
the news to Trehan.
When did you tell
Shahid?
I waited to meet
him personally. He was taken aback. He didn't even know that I had undergone
auditions for Beyond The Clouds. He only knew that I had Dhadak (the remake of
Sairat) in my kitty. 
A Still From Beyond The Clouds
What exactly did he tell you? Any advice?
He said jo bhi karna hai sochke karna. I told him Majid Majidi Sir wanted to
start off first. Shahid's advice was obviously coming with the intention that I
do everything correctly.
I understand what you mean. So, did you call up Karan?
Yes, I told him that Majid Majidi Sir will be starting first. I told him that I
feel strongly about Beyond The Clouds, and such an opportunity does not
come twice. Karan Sir understood. He could have easily said that he didn't want to
make Dhadak with me if I signed up with Majid Majidi Sir, but he didn't.
Ishaan Khatter With Malavika Mohanan
Right. Gracious on his part. So, what's your role in Beyond The Clouds?
I play Aamir, an
18-year-old who was orphaned at a young age. He leaves his sister's house when
he is barely 13. He is quite a street hustler - smart and talented. His character
undergoes a sea-change by the time the film ends.
Go on...
It's a very
challenging role. It took me a while to recover some aspects of my personality.
I was quite a bit in solitude for the initial part when the film went on floors
because Mom was travelling. Also, I had to undergo a quick loss in weight so
that I look malnourished.
The consequent was that I started talking very less, and continued to do the
same even with my mom when she returned from outstation.
Was
it easy to shoot with Majid Majidi as he always had a translator around him?
No crucial information was lost, and after a certain point I could understand
what exactly he wants. You get used to a person if you hear and observe him
carefully, which I did in this case.
Ishaan Khatter And Majid Majidi
We all were sync with him, we love and admire him so
much.
How much of Majid Majidi's work had you seen?
I had seen all his work barring his first film Baduk, which he made in 1992. It
was not available on DVD. In fact, a similar thing happened with my mom, I
couldn't see her work until I came across a fan on YouTube who said
that he could sell me that content for a certain price. And lo! I bought it,
saw it --- and my mom lost it again!
What do you think of the competition around you? You
might be even compared to Shahid?
I don't see it as competition. I am a different human being.
As for my brother, he is 15 years older than me and so is
like a father-figure to me.
Ishaan Khatter With Shahid Kapoor
Do you think that star-kids have a head-start?
No, I don't bother myself with such thoughts. I am quite
involved with what I am doing.
How close are you to Shahid?
Shahid has a large influence on me. He has taken
care of me, and he took this responsibility at a very young age. He and I share
a lot of exciting similarities - same passion for cinema and dance, and hence
our chats never become boring or cumbersome. He is a very big part of my
emotional makeup.
Image Source: @starsunfolded/@DNAindia/@bollywood