EXCLUSIVE: Here's how Irrfan Khan's son Babil bagged his debut film Qala; Watch

The film helmed by Anvitaa Dutt will also star Tripti Dimri, Swastika Mukherjee and Amit Sial in pivotal roles.

By Akriti Anand

Updated on Dec 03, 2022 | 12:22 AM IST | 583.8K

Late actor Irrfan Khan with his son Babil Khan. Pic credit: Pinkvilla

Babil Khan, son of late actor Irrfan, made his acting debut with the film Qala. The film opened to rave response and fans loved him and his performance. The film helmed by Anvitaa Dutt also stars Triptii Dimri, Swastika Mukherjee, and Amit Sial in pivotal roles. In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Babil Khan opened up on life post his father Irrfan’s death and how he bagged his debut role. He has given an audition for this role.

“I have too given an audition"
Speaking about his auditions and his first day at the set, Babil said, “I will be very honest with you. Like I know people think that but no. I am not getting like offers just like that. I am like, offers come but then I read script I am like should I say yes or no and then my management says that “Sir, you have to give an audition.” Alright! I have to say this yes or no.”

“The first thing when I came on set the first I had come with. Dad had just passed away and you know that first sense of limelight, exposure to the public eye. I had come as Irrfan Khan’s son with my head like. I first stepped into the vanity and the first thing she told, ‘To me, you were always Sutapa’s son. I always looked at you as Sutapa’s son and you are Sutapa’s son and suddenly I was just like Mama and then I became Mama’s boy and we shot,” he further added.

Anvitaa Dutt shares how she found ‘Jagan’
Babil is playing the role of Jagan in the film. Sharing how he came on board, Anvitaa said, “I discovered Babil the same way I discovered Tripti. I had a DA called Rabia Kapoor. And I was searching for Jagan but I could not. There were lovely auditions that I got but somehow they were not fitting either they were too old or somewhere the Jagan quality of that innocence and that feeling of never seen before this new child who comes from the steps into the world of shadows kind of feelings. So, then Rabia recommended him because they were in school together and I wasn’t even sure he wanted to act. So, I reached out to Casting Bay, Abhishek and they showed me in their presentation, he was one of the names in the new list that they made because we had auditioned so much. So they auditioned him and it was his audition that got this gig. Who he is? What he is? I had no idea before the audition. So, yes that’s how I found him. Through work, he has put into the audition.”

About Qala:
The film story is about the complicated relationship between a singer and her mother against the backdrop of 1940s Kolkata. In the film, Babil appears as Triptii’s rival. It’s produced by Karnesh Ssharma's Clean Slate Filmz.