Babil Khan talks about the important life lesson taught by Irrfan Khan, says the new youth is searching for a new meaning

July 8, 2020 - 4:40 PM IST

Irrfan Khan was one of the most sought after actors in the industry who had made his name from scratch and became a favourite across the globe. His work will forever be remembered for delivering fine cinema. Making a mark in the industry over the years, Irrfan Khan’s demise came as a shock to everyone and we’re still dealing with it after two months. Irrfan Khan’s son, Babil Khan, is also a student of cinema and has strong opinions about the norms of the industry backed by his father’s lessons. He took to his Instagram to share a picture from his childhood with Irrfan Khan and wrote a moving note. The caption questions every notion that has been built over the years and is definitely worth a read. He associated his words with examples of Kalki Koechlin being trolled for looking like a boy and Sushant Singh Rajput’s untimely demise.

Babil Khan talks about the important life lesson taught by Irrfan Khan, says the new youth is searching for a new meaning

It reads, “You know one of the most important things my father taught me as a student of cinema? Before I went to film school, he warned me that I’ll have to prove my self as Bollywood is seldom respected in world cinema and at these moments I must inform about the indian cinema that’s beyond our controlled Bollywood. Unfortunately, it did happen. Bollywood was not respected, no awareness of 60’s - 90’s Indian cinema or credibility of opinion. There was literally one single lecture in the world cinema segment about indian cinema called ‘Bollywood and Beyond’, that too gone through in a class full of chuckles. it was tough to even get a sensible conversation about the real Indian cinema of Satyajit Ray and K.Asif going. You know why that is? Because we, as the Indian audience, refused to evolve. My father gave his life trying to elevate the art of acting in the adverse conditions of noughties Bollywood and alas, for almost all of his journey, was defeated in the box office by hunks with six pack abs delivering theatrical one-liners and defying the laws of physics and reality, photoshopped item songs, just blatant sexism and same-old conventional representations of patriarchy (and you must understand, to be defeated at the box office means that majority of the investment in Bollywood would be going to the winners, engulfing us in a vicious circle). Because we as an audience wanted that, we enjoyed it, all we sought was entertainment and safety of thought, so afraid to have our delicate illusion of reality shattered, so unaccepting of any shift in perception. All effort to explore the potential of cinema and its implications on humanity and existentialism was at best kept by the sidelines. Now there is a change, a new fragrance in the wind. A new youth, searching for a new meaning. We must stand our ground, not let this thirst for a deeper meaning be repressed again. A strange feeling beset when Kalki was trolled for looking like a boy when she cut her hair short, that is pure abolishment of potential. (Although I resent that Sushant’s demise has now become a fluster of political debates, but if a positive change is manifesting, in the way of the Taoist, we embrace it.)”

Take a look at the pictures that he shared.