Babil Khan opens up about being called Irrfan Khan’s shadow: ‘Way to survive…’ | Exclusive

In an exclusive conversation with India.com, Babil opened up and addressed being in Irrfan's shadow and how he is navigating this journey.

In the vast, echoing corridors of Indian cinema, a name which is paving its own path in Bollywood is Irrfan Khan’s son, Babil Khan. He has not only inherited the weight of brilliance when it comes to performance but also his father’s charm. Babil made his much-anticipated debut in 2022 with the Netflix film Qala alongside Triptii Dimri. The movie was helmed by Anvitaa Dutt, and Babil’s performance, layered with vulnerability and quiet intensity, impressed audiences to the core. He not only received good reviews from audiences but from critics too. Over the next two years, he featured in a film named Friday Night Plan and the Netflix series The Railway Men. Now, finally, he is seen in his recent project Logout on Zee5 Global. During these years, Babil has been very vocal about his journey and also about the pressure that tags along with being the son of Irrfan Khan. In an exclusive conversation with India.com, Babil opened up and addressed being in Irrfan’s shadow and how he is navigating this journey.

When Babil was asked whether, since he had Irrfan Khan’s name associated with him, he feels the pressure to live up to people’s expectations and carry forward his father’s legacy, the actor replied and said, “That pressure, what we are talking about—first of all, I don’t see his shadow as a shadow, and I don’t see it as something I want to get out of. I cherish his memories. It is so beautiful that when an artist surrenders themselves completely to art, they become immortal. He is gone, his body is gone, but he is still alive. And that only happens with fearlessness and kindness, and there has to be a balance.”

Talking about the pressure, Babil said, “There is a lot of pressure, but that’s the journey. Because that is me being me, and it is my identity—figuring out a way to survive. And the journey that I have to take is to not take that identity seriously. That is very important. So, the pressure at some point will go from burdening me to cherishing me as a person.”

Meanwhile, Babil was last seen in Netflix’s hit drama series The Railway Men. The series was inspired by the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Apart from Babil, the series featured Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu, Priya Yadav, Sunny Hinduja, and R. Madhavan in important roles. Now, Babil’s recent project Logout has been released on Zee5 Global and has been receiving a positive response.