BABA's BABIL

In his first interview, Irrfan Khan's son Babil reflects on his legacy, lessons from his father, and why he'll never stop grieving.

- ANKUR PATHAK

Jacket and shirt by Rajesh Pratap Singh.

When he was 12, Babil Khan performed William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors on his school's annual day. In the middle of an important scene, Babil totally blanked out. As panic set in, he broke into Hindi and began improvising. The crowd's reaction went from muted awkwardness to cheerful laughter. As the packed auditorium gave his act a standing ovation, the thrilled 12-year-old scanned the room for a sight of his father. Maybe he had made it this time—after missing several important school events. Maybe he decided to surprise him. Nope.

As he quietly reconciled with this disappointment, several hundred kilometres away from Mumbai, Irrfan Khan was busy shooting a movie, unaware of the influence his craft had already caused at home. While Babil was elated that his mother, Sutapa Sikdar, was by his side-as she always was-he would nurse the wound of his father's absence for a long time.

Kimono by Yavi. Trousers by Naushad Ali. Mules by Christian Louboutin.

When I meet the now 23-year-old at his Oshiwara home, he talks about this episode vividly. It's a quiet Sunday afternoon and his sprawling house, where I used to meet Irrfan, has a calming aura. Unlike his father, who spoke with restraint, Babil is animated and extroverted, meticulously arranging his thoughts into words so no thread is left unaddressed. He ponders questions, shifts his sitting positions, and answers perceptively.