HT Brunch Cover Story: His Baba’s Babil

The smile was the same, as was the intensity in his eyes. But Babil Khan, 24, seems determined to ignore any comparisons you make to his father, Irrfan Khan, displeased.

For starters, he’s much more likely to flash an impulsive smile than his caring father. His fashion sense is much higher than what one imagines about his father.

Is Babil Khan’s strong personal identity the way another star child battles the questions that come with privilege?

Babil made her film debut in Anvita Dutt’s psychological drama, Anvita Dutt, Qala, releasing on Netflix next month. Unlike normal star kids, he wasn’t given a big hit by a major studio, nor was he the main character in his first movie.

When asked why, he shrugged, “I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. I just really like the action. The words ‘debut’ and ‘debut’ never bothered me. I truly believe they make the individual greater than the story being told, which doesn’t work for me. If I wasn’t Irrfan Khan’s son, no one would care about my debut, and I think that’s how it should be. The joy of being recognized for your work is much greater than inheriting the recognition.”

Babil Khan’s sensible words may have been able to mask the harshest of criticisms, but we’re not done putting the young man to the test yet.

An interview you did for a magazine earlier this year indicated that your father could be an absentee parent. You talked about a play he didn’t appear in…

Babil tackles the question like a pro. He’s just a very busy man, he said. “He will be filming a lot and I will visit him. Well, he didn’t show up for that 8th grade performance. He won’t appear at any school or PTM events, he can’t remember any of our birthdays, but that’s the way it is. If I looked deeper into myself to see why I was in pain at the time, I would say it was just a social convention that I subconsciously feared didn’t fit. Just because everyone else has a dad there, so why shouldn’t I? These are the mind’s primordial survival insecurities; If I observe the nature of those desires instead of blowing them out of my mind, they lose all meaning. So aside from the performance he didn’t show up for, the fact that he didn’t do these things didn’t really affect me, because our relationship is incredibly strong. Our relationship is not like a father-son relationship; there’s a degree of openness and comfort that I don’t think you can achieve by following conventions. He’s my best friend in the world and we’ve laughed together so much, I don’t remember the last time I laughed like I did with him. Our relationship will make up for all his absence.

In my own words

It was a performance of Shakespeare’s play in 8th grade. Comedy has errors Young Babil Khan first knew he wanted to be an actor. The exact moment was when he forgot his lines!

“I think we did a great job with the play,” Babil said. “Everybody understood Shakespearean language the same way it should be done, but I also remember clearly feeling that the audience seemed bored. Watching 8th graders have their lives on stage by Shakespeare is not the most exciting thing to watch.

Babil continued: “Then, by chance, I went back to the stage and forgot all my lines as we neared the second half of the play. “So I started improvising… in Hindi! The moment that happened, the audience burst into laughter. Feeling fearless in the surrender state, and then being responded to by the audience, that moment was truly a miracle for me.”

A worthy man

Babil may have developed a preference for acting on his own accord, but he certainly knew that words like ‘privilege’ and ‘nepotism’ would be thrown at him.

“I think it’s important to be aware of your privilege; that is the first step. If you’re aware, you can be grateful for it, and if you’re grateful, you’ll automatically never take your chances for granted,” said Babil, sounding years wiser than he has been. . “In the world of art and cinema, artists and audiences, we are like a family; it’s a collective evolution and that relationship is sacred to me. It is extremely important to me to reflect on how my existence, actions and journeys are affecting the emotions of others. I have grown up to be respected, with sincere kindness, in the way that I make others feel. Therefore, if my cruise position causes others to feel something is unfair, it is my responsibility to ensure that I demonstrate to them that I deserve to be there; through unrelenting hard work and humility.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan, said in an interview that he didn’t want to be an actor because the comparisons would be heavy. As an individual like him, isn’t Babil afraid of such things?

“I like it [acting] too much!” he said. The comparisons will always weigh heavily because I’m only 24 years old and it will take me a long time to become an artist like my father, but I believe I have the genetics, the upbringing, the talent. the right talent and attitude to be someone like him, proud fans, I believe I have it in me.

First rejection

Long before Babil landed Qalaand after his 8th grade performance, the young man faced rejection at the hands of Ang Lee when he auditioned for The Life of Pi.

“I think it was because that character was supposed to be a younger version of Baba, and I looked a lot like him, so auditioning for me was inevitable,” explained Babil. “But I was so young and so nervous, my voice was shaking and my knees were weak… (laughs) So yeah, I didn’t play the role.”

Still, not one to be easily defeated, Babil’s excitement can be felt as he talks about his role in Qala. “My character in the film, Jagran, and the innocence he lives in in his dedication to his craft, leaves him with no idea how that is affecting. Qala,” explained the young actor. “I was so new and so fresh after my father’s death when I was filming the movie, so my biggest challenge was the emotional destruction in my personal life that I was facing and doing. so that it doesn’t affect my work. It’s been two years since then, and I’ve matured considerably as an actor; so there’s always the wish that ‘I wish I could play Jagran today.

Dad’s Word

Of course, the last word must belong to someone from his father. “Baba has been adamant in making me aware of how easily our minds are conditioned to think that just because people are doing it, it should be the right thing to do,” says Babil. “It’s important to him that we don’t think or feel that way. Today I am grateful for developing those qualities in me. He raised us to be fearless about being different.

People are talking about Babil

Two filmmakers hold on to the young actor

Filmmaker Tanuja Chandra, whose film [Qarib Qarib Singlle] Babil as assistant cameraman

“Babil was still a teenager when we made QQS. He is enthusiastic, cheerful, eager to learn and sincere. He is also very easily reprimanded if he is negligent in his work. I really enjoyed having him on set and to be honest, he was so much like Irrfan in terms of looks, we even used him as an extra in a few scenes of the song!

However, interestingly, I don’t remember much of Irrfan when I saw Babil in his movie trailer. Of course, he has some Irrfan traits, but he also looks different. Which I think is great.

But yes, lineage is a mighty lineage and I hope viewers won’t compare at every step. That wouldn’t be fair. Those shoes are not filled and it would be great if Babil had his tenor and unique style. Wouldn’t it be much more interesting if he was completely different from his father?!”

Anvita Dutt, director of his first film, Qala

What drew you to Babil?

“My DA Rabia suggested his name. And then Casting Bay auditioned for the part of him. It was his audition that made the difference.”

What was Babil Khan like as a boy?

“Ambitious.”

And as an actor?

“He has a great screen presence.”

Does the fact that he is Irrfan’s son make any sense?

“His identity is his own. And not his lineage. It was Rabia’s opinion and his audition that helped him land the role.

Follow @JamalShaikh on Instagram and Twitter

From HT Brunch, November 26, 2022

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