Babil Khan made his directorial debut last week with the Netflix film Qala. Babil plays a prodigiously talented singer who threatens the protagonist in the film, which also stars Tripti Dimri and Swastika Mukherjee. Many fans praised Babil’s performance in the film, and some even compared him to his late father, Irrfan Khan. Tripti, Babil’s co-star, has called such comparisons “wrong and unfair.”
Irrfan Khan, who died in 2020 after a long illness, is widely regarded as one of India’s greatest actors. Throughout his long and illustrious career, he received numerous honours, including a National Award and six Filmfare Awards. He was also well-known in Hollywood, having appeared in films such as Life of Pi, The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World, and Inferno. His elder son is Babil.
In a recent interview with ETimes, Tripti was asked how Babil resembles Irrfan, to which she replied, “He does look a lot like sir (Irrfan).” In terms of acting, I believe he will develop his own fan base. Irrfan sir was fantastic, and no one should expect him to act like his father. That would be completely incorrect. He appears to be someone who will build his own fan base. He is figuring out how to do things his own way, which is really cool to see.”
Tripti elaborated on his experience working with Babil, saying, “It was fun working with him. I believe we clicked in our first meeting at the office, where I was sitting, and he was all nervous, as an actor is always nervous during his or her debut film. I remember being so nervous when it was my first film. And now, I am seeing Babil finally grow out of his shyness; he is so confident that I am seeing his interviews and meeting people. He is so self-assured now, which is wonderful to see.”
Qala, directed by Anvitaa Dutt, is a psychological thriller set in 1940s Kolkata (then Calcutta), starring Tripti Dimri as the eponymous singer tortured by a secret from her past. Babil’s next appearance will be in the web series The Railway Men, alongside R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, and Divyenndu.
