Babil Khan is coming into his own as an actor

The 24-year-old actor recently made his debut in the Netflix film Qala, sparking interest in his talent and drawing comparisons with his late father

Before Babil Khan made his acting debut in the psychological drama Qala, he knew he was already opening himself up to widespread judgment and scrutiny. Growing up in the shadow of his late father Irrfan Khan’s legacy, Babil says he did not feel the need to be publicly recognised. “I have always been my own person. My parents have allowed me to forge my career. I chose films because I enjoy the process, irrespective of the medium, and not because I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I’m okay being in front of the camera, behind it, or even art directing,” he says. 

Khan understands that fame comes with a lot of perks but admits that he isn’t in it for the spotlight necessarily. The 24-year-old says he grew up on a steady diet of art house films and commercial potboilers, where the famous Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was appreciated alongside Jean-Luc Godard (the late French-Swiss film director). “That’s why I always look so intense; blame my dad,” says the actor jokingly.

The dynamics

Khan grew up on film sets, watching his father weave celluloid magic and hoping he would, one day, be a part of the same experience. “Baba’s commitment to the craft and work ethic is something I look to imbibe. He was always professional on set, would share a laugh, and made everyone feel comfortable. But he could spend time away because my mother was always there, in the background, supporting him. So much of what Khan hopes to achieve as an artist is because of his mother, he tells me. “I want to be successful for her. That’s why I had no problem playing a supporting role to the  female lead (Triptii Dimri) in the film. I wanted to support her,” he says. Apart from imparting film knowledge, the late Irrfan Khan imparted a sense of self to his son. And while Babil Khan may not have spent much time consciously thinking about his identity or purpose in the world, these questions still affected his life. “Knowing who you are allows you to live with purpose and develop satisfying relationships, both of which can contribute to overall good emotional health,” he says.

Khan also admits that although his father missed a few of his theatre performances early on, including when he made his stage debut in school in a retelling of William Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, he doesn’t hold it against him.

“I remember forgetting my lines and making up dialogues much to the audience’s amusement. It was nerve-wracking at first, but I pulled through. I looked out for my dad, hoping to catch him smirking in a corner beyond the spotlight, but he wasn’t there. I understood,” he says. 

In the spotlight

Khan’s role in Qala may not necessarily be flashy (sans the costumes), but it’s rooted in authenticity. The Hindi-language film, produced by Karnesh Ssharma’s Clean Slate Filmz, takes place between the 1930s and the 1940s. Triptii Dimri plays the titular singer, whose path to fame winds past an uncaring mother, questionable personal choices, and sexual predators. The principal cast includes Swastika Mukherjee as Qala’s mother, Khan as a singer who competes with Qala, and Amit Sial as a music composer. 

“I had to audition for the role; it didn’t come to me on a platter. Anvita Dutt (the director) is someone I’ve wanted to work with. Her vision is unmatched. She builds these worlds that merge reality with surrealism. In Bulbbul, she addressed important issues like the patriarchy, womanhood and female subversion using vivid colours, an eerie atmosphere, haunting music, stylish direction and impressive storytelling,” he says. 

Khan’s character Jagan may have been inspired by the life of Master Madan—a child prodigy who rose to nationwide fame with his performance as a ghazal singer when he was just three-and-a-half years old. Madan’s popularity grew all over the country, but his life was cut short at 14 when he passed away due to an apparent mercury poisoning. It was suspected that his milk was ‘poisoned with mercury’ by an upcoming singer jealous of Madan’s talent and popularity.

And while Dutt never directly states that Master Madan inspires Jagan, she smartly leaves enough crumbs for us to catch on to the similarity. For example, after Jagan shifts to Qala’s house, she is often tasked with giving him a glass of milk by her mother. There is also a sequence where Qala’s mother scolds her for putting a thermometer in Jagan’s mouth to check his fever, as the mercury can be lethal to his voice.

And while Khan didn’t substantiate this theory, he says playing Jagan was a great role in starting his career because it allowed him to find his feet without the added pressure of having all eyes on him. “He’s quietly complex and has his demons too. He’s also a victim of how men are conditioned to behave a certain way,” he says.

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