Priyanka Chopra sends sweet message to Ibrahim Ali Khan after his Nadaniyaan debut: “Grow a thick skin”

May 12, 2025 - 5:05 PM IST

Being Saif Ali Khan’s doppelgänger and Bollywood’s latest “nepo kid” entering the limelight, Ibrahim Ali Khan was always bound to make headlines. However, his big debut in Netflix’s rom-com Nadaaniyan, alongside Khushi Kapoor, didn’t exactly land as expected. The film received criticism, and social media quickly called out his privileged entry into the film industry. So, how did the young actor take it all in? In a new interview, Ibrahim opened up and got candid about his debut.

Priyanka Chopra sends sweet message to Ibrahim Ali Khan after his Nadaniyaan debut: “Grow a thick skin”

It turns out, the acting bug bit Ibrahim slowly. “Since I was young, I used to accompany my dad to film sets and thought it was all so cool,” he shared. “I only began to think about it seriously in high school. All my life, people assumed I would become an actor, but that realisation needs to come from within.”

Still, being a star kid came with its own set of challenges. “I was hoping to join the movies sooner,” Ibrahim admitted. “I realised the tide was turning when Sara, Janhvi, and Ananya were starting out. Technically speaking, nepotism has been around forever, but these girls became targets. I realised that anyone from a film background looking to debut from then on was going to face backlash, no matter how good they may be. I was prepared for it, but didn’t expect it to be so harsh.”

And what does Ibrahim think of Nadaaniyan now that the dust has settled? He said, “I look back at my performance and I can see where I could have done better or worked harder.” He added, “A lot of people tell me, ‘Don’t stress. It’s only your first film.’ That’s not okay for me. I wanted my first film to be great. I wanted to be great in my first film. But I’ll learn—I have to learn.”

Luckily, Ibrahim has had some serious star power cheering him on. “My dad said this is not the year 2000 when a star can just walk around in a movie and it can be a blockbuster,” Ibrahim revealed. “Today, you must be very prepared and be a quick learner. Most importantly, he said the script and the filmmaker are two things you cannot compromise on.”

And then came a surprising vote of confidence. Ibrahim stated, “Priyanka Chopra sent me a very sweet message saying she watched the film and thinks I have a bright future. She said I have to hold my head high and keep grinding; and that I must grow a thick skin. Coming from someone as accomplished as she is, I felt really comforted and motivated.”

It seems that Ibrahim has both the humility to take criticism and the determination to keep pushing forward. Here’s hoping round two packs the punch he’s aiming for.

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