Crowds separating me from Baba impacted me

Babil Khan, son of the late legendary actor Irrfan Khan and screenwriter-producer Sutapa Sikdar, who opened his career in films with Qala, is the lead actor in the joyful teen film Friday Night Plan streaming on an OTT platform and sending the older generation of audiences back to their teenage days.

Here he is, sharing some thoughts with DC:  

On doing a big screen film

I will definitely take my place on the big screen and do well. But before embarking on theatre films, I should be perfectly ready, so that when you all watch me on celluloid for the first time, you will leave the theatres brimming with love for me.

On how subsequent experiences facing the cameras differed from the first

While I embarked on Qala, it was well-known that my family and I were going through a tough phase of life emotionally. But when I did Railwayman I felt more comfortable. It ignited that passion for acting which was deep within me. The people around me, and I myself, noticed that passion, and my acting skills shone a little more in comparison to my debut project. where a kind of fear was clearly visible. Audiences may or may not like me in Friday Night Plan, but I felt a certain coolness seeping into me – I am confident in front of the camera now. With this confidence, I can perform better as an actor.

On fame as part and parcel of an actor’s life

During my childhood, I wanted to be famous, and be known like my Baba (Irrfan) was known. I would hold my Baba’s hand while walking with him as a child, and I remember how crowds would gather around us and separate me from Baba. Maybe such psychological experiences fuelled a desire in me. As an actor and as a person you wish to lead life honestly. Undeniably, with popularity, you are vulnerable and exposed to the public. In leading a public life you have to suppress a few things about your individuality. There’s a weird pressure on you. But that’s something you have to live with, learn to balance, and carry on with life.

On the impact of the glamour

Most of my life was spent on Madh Island, surrounded by trees and the water. It was a jungle kind of environment, and my parents consciously kept me away from the world of glamour. Therefore, this glitzy atmosphere has not made any undying impact on me. But what has made an unforgettable impression is the experience of crowds separating me from Baba.