Babil Khan pens note on his struggle with self-promotion during Qala release, cried one night in quest to remain true to himself

Babil Khan ’s debut with Qala has been seen and appreciated by viewers after its arrival on Netflix recently. With the young actor struck all the right notes with her performance in the film, he seems to have struggled with the commercial aspects of being an actor and promoting the project and himself during the weeks following up to the Netflix release of the film.

Sharing a long note about dealing with ‘the other side of being an actor’ Babil shared that he was moved to tears one night in the quest to remain true to himself while giving his best during promotions. Babil shared that it was during this phase of turmoil that his late father Irrfan Khan’s guru Prasanna Heggodu paid him a visit and how a conversation with him brought the Qala actor closer to his roots.

The Qala actor shared a series of photo featuring his meeting the eminent theatre personality and social activist Prasanna and old clicks of Irrfan with his mentor. In his note, Babil wrote, “For the first time, in recent days, I experienced the other side of being an actor. The commerce of it, the promotion of yourself. Although I obliged to it with sincerity and honesty, it was something that didn’t feel true to me. It was difficult because the idea of feeding your own narcissism made me feel dissociated with the spirituality of ‘acting’ as an art form, even with the awareness of our reality; that in our society art cannot exist without commerce. I begged to life itself, I sought within myself and I cried one night, I said ‘please show me a way to stay true to myself.’”

Enlightened after his meeting with the Prasanna, Babil continued his note adding, “A few days later, Prasanna sir came to our house (one of the greatest acting teachers, baba’s most significant mentor) and discussions with him brought me closer to my roots, I felt closer to my art. I believe that if we think of life as a dear friend and wish for changes within one’s self, life will revert to you, stay close with you and provide you with opportunities to evolve. I believe that life is your one true friend.”

Babil’s post resonated deeply with several of his followers including actresses Dia Mirza and Tillotama Shome who commented on Babil’s post.

Babil’s immaculate act in Qala has moved fans and critics alike. The film led by Tripti Dimri has been hailed as a true work of art after it released on Netflix on December 1.