Late Bollywood star, Irrfan Khan had hoped his son, Babil Khan, would learn the craft of acting from him, but Babil wasn’t interested, which deeply saddened him. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation, Irrfan redefined the idea of a hero in Hindi cinema through his extraordinary performances. He captivated audiences around the world with his unique presence and talent. Tragically, while pursuing meaningful and unconventional roles, Irrfan was diagnosed with a rare illness, neuroendocrine cancer.
Despite undergoing a year of treatment in the UK, he sadly lost his battle in 2020 and departed for his heavenly abode. His passing left the family heartbroken. It was his elder son, Babil Khan, who had to mature overnight. Babil once shared how there was a time his father felt disappointed that he didn’t take the opportunity to learn acting directly from him.
Irrfan wanted his son, Babil, to be the finest actor like him, but he refused to learn acting from him
Babil Khan shared a heartfelt memory, reflecting on how he came to truly appreciate his father, Irrfan Khan, and his persistent efforts to teach him acting, realisations that only deepened years after his father’s passing. Speaking at Kommune’s Spoken Fest, Babil revisited this emotional journey through spoken word poetry, revealing how his father’s quiet guidance was always present, subtly shaping him from behind the scenes.
Babil would often brush him off, leaving Irfan visibly hurt, he knew the world looked up to him, eager to learn the craft of acting. Some might have seen Babil as naïve or even foolish, but he was just a boy, still in his teens and early adulthood, who simply believed his baba would always be there. As Babil recalled:
“Baba, somehow he caught onto the desire that I want to be an actor. So, he would come to me and he’d be like, ‘Babilla come, we’ll practice this scene.’ And I would shrug him off. And I’d be like, it’s okay, we’ll do it tomorrow, what’s the hurry? Baba was around forever. He’s going to be around forever. So then life decided that it was time for Baba to move on from this world. And then, Baba, my bestest friend, my soul mate, disappeared forever from my life.”
Babil Khan’s heartfelt tribute on father Irrfan’s 5th death anniversary
Losing a father feels like losing the roof over your head, a constant source of shelter and safety suddenly gone. After Irfan’s passing, Babil was left exposed and vulnerable. His open-hearted nature and occasional struggle to express himself made him a target for online trolls, who mocked his enthusiasm and sincerity. On the fifth anniversary of his father’s death, Babil posted a heartfelt photo with him and wrote:
“With you, without you. Life goes on, With me, without me. Soon I’ll be there. With you, not without you. And we will run together, and fly, Drink from waterfalls, pink not blue. I will hug you so tight, and I will cry, Then we’ll laugh, just like we used to. I miss you.”
Babil Khan’s professional front
Babil Khan made his Bollywood debut in the 2022 film Qala, earning widespread praise for his performance. He will next be seen in Logout, a gripping mystery drama also featuring Rasika Dugal. The film is set to premiere on Zee5 on April 18, 2025.