Nepotism in Bollywood has long been a controversial matter of debate, with the public divided on the subject. Much has been written over the years about the prevalence of nepotism in the industry, and today, this heated issue has resurfaced as yet another celebrity kid prepares to make his acting debut. We’re talking about Babil Khan, Irrfan Khan’s older brother, who is making his acting debut in Anvita Dutt’s Qala, which stars Triptii Dimri.
Babil confessed in a recent interview with GQ that nepotism in Bollywood is real, and that he landed the role in Qala partly because of his heritage. Babil also expressed gratitude for all of the possibilities that have come his way, saying that he would have been a rank outsider if he didn’t have the luxury. “Pressure in itself is a privilege. The expectations from me are markers of my privilege. Either you can beat yourself up and feel guilty about it or accept it with humility and harness it into your work. I’ve chosen the latter. I’m grateful for the opportunities that I know others won’t get as easily as I have. If I can’t use my privilege and justify it through my craft, it’d be such a waste,” the young actor emphasised.
During the conversation, Babil also stated that he is aware that he would always be judged in comparison to his father, Irrfan. In reality, by reciting Irrfan’s comments, the young actor recalled how his father had reacted to his playing dreams. “You’re screwed. I’m really good at what I do. You’ll have to be very, very good at this.”
Given the work Irrfan has left behind, it will be intriguing to see if Babil can continue the tradition.
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