His Father's Son

In Netflix's Friday Night Plan, BABIL KHAN tries to showcase a style distinct from his father, Irrfan

- Suhani Singh

There's an infectious energy to Babil Khan, 25. It's in sharp contrast to his father, the late Irrfan, whose eyes alone could register and radiate his presence. Irrfan passed away in April 2020, before he could see his eldest follow in his footsteps and become an actor (Netflix's Qala, 2022). His father's thespian legacy is both a boost and occasionally a bane for the young Babil whose second feature, Friday Night Plan, released on Netflix on September 1. "My biggest challenge is to enter an audition room and detach myself from the image of Baba," he says. "I am sensitive to the environment around so I know when somebody is disappointed because I am not acting like him." It's a mammoth expectation, especially for someone just starting out.