Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........
Exclusive| Entertainment Bollywood In this interview, Babil Khan speaks about the secret behind Irrfan Khan looking ageless on screen, his recent ZEE5 show Logout & more.
Babil Khan understood the assignment when he made his debut in Hindi cinema with Qala. It’s not easy being the son of a truly masterful actor like Irrfan Khan, but he had to do the job, now that he had volunteered for it. With his latest OTT movieLogout streaming on ZEE5, Babil Khan plays a character who is in stark contrast to his offscreen personality but when you mention that to him, he agrees and disagrees both.
In Logout, Babil plays a digital influencer named Pratyush who is obsessed with social media and can’t get enough of his phone in Logout. His life takes a turn when a stalker gets hold of his phone and his life.
In an exclusive interview, Babil Khan spoke about playing Pratyush, tapping into his inner darkness to play different roles, even the ones that might seem very different from his ‘real’ personality, on his father Irrfan Khan, his favourite films of the legendary actor and whether he’d be open to play him in a biopic in the future.
Here are the edited excerpts of our long and fun chat:
Q: You come across as a private person in real life. Whereas Pratyush is someone who is outgoing and always on social media. How did you get to play that character?
Babil: I genuinely believe that we, when we define ourselves, and we give ourselves an identity, we're just creating another image. Do you know of Carl Jung. He was a pioneer in psychology. He spoke about this idea of a darkness within us, which we deny because we need our identity to be good, because of our moral relativism, right? We want to label everything as black and white or good or bad or right or wrong. But the truth is that we are all in the middle. From there, we can choose to go anywhere.
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We all have a serial killer inside us, but we choose not to be that. So, to play a character, all you have to do is look inside. You have to look inside and be aware of your demons.
Q: What’s the one advice you’d give Pratyush if you happened to meet him in real life?
Babil: I think I wouldn't be able to reach his heart if I met him in the first half of the film. But I hope I would meet him in the second half because there’s a kind of redeeming arc of his soul, of his spirit and empathy. I wouldn't give him any advice. The film and the journey….his life taught him enough. I would just like to see that transition in him.
Wow, it’s so ironic and strange. It’s me, but it’s not me (sic).
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6 Inspirational Quotes By Late Actor Irrfan Khan
Q: In the film, Pratyush loses his phone to a stalker. How would you react if you lost your phone to a fan in real life?
Babil: I don't keep my phone anywhere near me.I hate my phone. It gives me a lot of anxiety. So, I would be very grateful to that fan. I would send her a letter saying, ‘thank you for my freedom’.
All my secrets are in my heart and not on phone.
Q: Are you someone who keeps a diary?
Babil: I write notes, but it’s not something serious. It’s mostly bad poetry. It’s mostly brain farts that I don’t want to share with the world. I don’t want to share, not because I am afraid of sharing something but because it’s for me to keep. These are ideas that I would rather let grow than expose and let opinions filter it or dilute the intensity of that thought.
Watch Logout trailer here:
Q: Babil, I have to mention that I am a huge fan of your father. His death felt like a personal loss. He was magical on the screen. I can watch his films on repeat. What’s your favourite film of his?
Babil: Giving a favourite would be too tough, but I can give you a top five if you want. Paan Singh Tomar, Lunchbox, Madaari, this HBO series In Treatment, Life of Pi….these are just five and not the top five. If I am in a bad mood, I can pick up Qarib Qarib Single any day and watch it. It was my debut film and not Qala. I have one shot in that film because I was an assistant cinematographer. While I was an intern for the cinematography department, one day the extras didn’t show up. I pitched in. I don't think my PR team would be okay with this, but I told you anyway.
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Q: Babil, how do you like the idea of starring in a biopic on your father Irrfan Khan’s life?
Babil: I would actually and it would be an honour but the thought is too scary for me right now. My dada was someone who lived that darkness I was talking about. He actually lived that life. I am just talking about them at the age of 26. He dedicated his entire life to these ideas.
This is why he could play all these characters without ever ageing on screen. You could never say how old he was. He could be a hundred years old or 20 years old. He never needed VFX. Hence, he could play a serial killer and a hopeless romantic with such ease.
Babil Khan starrer Logout is currently streaming on OTT platform ZEE5.
