Babil Khan: "I don’t overthink how I’ll appear to paps; nobody taught me, I am scared to post on Insta"

In an age where image often overshadows authenticity, Babil Khan stands out as a refreshingly honest voice in the Indian film industry. Son of the legendary actor Irrfan Khan, Babil is steadily carving his own path, not by imitating what's expected, but by staying true to his instincts and emotions. In a recent candid conversation with India Forums, he opens up about the pressures of social media, the complexities of being in the public eye, his approach to acting as he promotes his film 'Logout', and why poetry remains his most personal form of expression.

Q. How did you approach this role and was there a specific process you went through to get into the skin of this character?

I think some things can’t really be taught, they’re instinctive. It's a certain offbeat timing that some actors naturally have. Honestly, we didn’t try to touch or change that during the process because it’s very difficult to explain such a thing to an actor. If someone can do it, they just do. And in that audition, we were really moved. The way I approached things during the audition left an impression. Later, when we met, I think the sincerity I brought to the script stood out, and that’s when everyone knew, this is it.

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I can’t plan it all out. I just try to be as honest as possible. I don’t overthink how I’ll appear to the paps or what image I’m projecting. There's a big team for that, and even then, I don’t always listen (laughs).

- Babil Khan

Q: Let’s talk about the current times. As Babil Khan, how do you navigate the pressure of building your identity, managing social media, gaining followers, and dealing with competition in the content space?

Earlier, I used to get affected. But now, I’ve realized this is just how I am. I remember the first time I encountered the paps (paparazzi), I naturally went ahead to shake hands because that’s how I greet people. Nobody had trained me to do it a certain way or told me that you're supposed to pose first. It became a thing, like I got labeled. But honestly, whatever I’ve done so far, I’ve done it impulsively, not strategically.

I can’t plan it all out. I just try to be as honest as possible. I don’t overthink how I’ll appear to the paps or what image I’m projecting. There's a big team for that, and even then, I don’t always listen (laughs).

Q: Do you fear social media sometimes?

Of course. But social media is also a great tool, it can really help promote creativity. It has strong positives. It depends on how we use it. For instance, I write poetry, but I get scared to post it. Especially after going through some trolling in the past—people even trolled my poetry. That made me hesitant. But at the same time, poetry is how I express myself. That’s my idea, my way of connecting. So I tell myself, I can't hide just because I’m scared.

Q: Without giving any film spoilers, have you ever had a creepy fan encounter?

Creepy? Not really. I haven’t had such experiences. I think those are more common with on-screen stars. I haven’t had any fan encounters that I’d call creepy.

Q: Maybe not creepy, but something weird or memorable?

Honestly, I can’t really judge anyone as weird. Sometimes, I myself surprise people! Like, I’ll jump into a conversation or act in a way that people don’t expect. They're just like, "We weren’t expecting you to react like that." So I become the weird one in those moments (laughs).

In a world obsessed with curated perfection, Babil Khan’s raw honesty is both rare and refreshing. Whether it’s his reluctance to strategize every move on social media or his fearless embrace of poetic vulnerability, he reminds us that authenticity is still powerful. Talking about the film, 'Logout' is currently streaming on ZEE5. The film shows Babil Khan as an influenzer who's life turns upside down when is world(his phone) is captivated by one of his fans and how she tries to control it.