Babil Khan, son of late actor Irrfan Khan, who made his debut with Qala, has a grand legacy to shoulder. Yet, he only wants to be the best version of himself

Nonika Singh

In a way, he is just another 24-year-old who wants to order food from Zomato in the middle of the night, have fun and be funny. But, of course, talented actor Babil Khan, son of hugely talented late Irrfan Khan, can’t afford to be and is certainly not just another youngster. Besides, the weight of a rich legacy, now there is the added pressure of newfound recognition.

Acting is so immediate and personal. Unlike other art forms like painting or sculpting, here you are creating with your body.

Post his debut in Qala, he is waking up to the fact, “I am not anonymous anymore.” Ideally, it should be a happy feeling but brings on its own set of challenges. Sure he has seen fame up, close and personal. After all his baba wasn’t just an incredible artiste but equally famous too. Didn’t the father hand him some lessons on how to handle fame? He laughs, “Well, to be honest he didn’t know how to handle it either. He would rather be in the middle of a forest on the top of an elephant than among a crowd cheering his name.” Sure Babil has literally grown up on sets and cinema in more ways than one runs in his blood. Subconsciously, he imbibed what he saw, “Mamma critiquing cinema and baba performing.”

No shortcuts

However, privilege of being Irrfan and Sutapa Sikdar’s son for him isn’t a short cut to success. “My parents would never ever use their connections to get me a break or a role.” Unsurprisingly, his debut has not been conventional lead hero type of part. He had no qualms in playing a smaller part in a heroine-led film. What made him say yes to Jagan’s part in Qala was simply its maker Anvita Dutt Guptan’s palpable passion. Length of the role didn’t matter for he has not been brought up on ‘I, me, myself’ individual brand of narcissism. To those who feel his part should have been lengthier, his wistful response is, “I guess, I will never be able to play Jagan again, but that is the destiny of the character, created beautifully.” Of course, Anvita’s brief on how to play this vulnerable young singer, the reference to ‘God particle and lightness of being’ didn’t fully register with him. He says, “I guess it would take me years of maturity to fully comprehend what she truly envisioned.”

So he played it with earnestness and innocence, the two qualities he doubts he will be able to retain once he learns his craft better. Actors, he believes, are malleable beings who change not only with every new character but also each storyteller. “The bond between the director and actor is very sacred. An actor can’t afford to walk into a film with a pompous feeling; I know it all.”

Lesson for life

Having been exposed to the art of cinema so early in life, acting wasn’t a difficult choice to make. Only, before he could find the courage to tell himself that he wanted to be an actor he trained in filmmaking and script-writing from London. Probably, because, with an institution in acting at home he thought, a lifetime awaited him to learn from what many would deem is God of acting. Instead, life was ready to teach him some lessons through pain and death. As he looks back, as he misses baba each minute of the day, the most significant lesson he learnt from his father is, “How to have fun in anxious and painful situations.” Indeed, fear of not being as great as baba might have been the reason why he didn’t express his desire to be an actor sooner.

On the favourites’ list

However, Irrfan is not his only role model in acting. Just hear Babil speak effusively about another fine actor Kay Kay Menon, his father’s contemporary and with whom he shall be seen in the upcoming web series The Railway Men. Babil gushes, “What a wonderful man Kay Kay sir is. While shooting for the series on Bhopal Gas tragedy, I would bombard him with questions. Even though he is playing a complex character and one part of his mind would be prepping for his role, another part was busy satiating my curiosity.”

Yet another of his favourite people is Shoojit Sircar with whom he has signed a contract. Among his own age-group he is truly taken in by American actor Timothée Chalamet and how the Dune star has his priorities just right. At this point, Babil’s priorities are, “Transforming in line with final goals.” And one thing he has figured out is, “Be it father-son or two great actors, you just can’t compare. So I don’t have to be like baba, only the best version of myself.”

Since ordinary mortals are unlikely to stop making fair or unfair comparisons, is he ready for the assessment? Not quite. But the actor, who is a part of Farhan Akhtar’s Friday Night Plan, is certainly driven by self-belief, “I have belief in myself that one day I will move people.” A few years down the line he simply aspires to be, “An evolved more self-aware version of myself.” Spoken like true Irrfan’s son, but with a mind of his own and one for whom acting is all about surrender.  

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