Revisiting Irrfan Khan: “He was the king and I was his jester,” Babil remembers his father
Ahead of Irrfan Khan's third death anniversary, his son Babil Khan shared a few personal anecdotes about his father on social media.
Mumbai: How would a son remember his father, who had an untimely death? The father was a star as well, who was revered by the whole world for his acting genius. How would a son come to terms with the reality when his ‘bestest friend’ is gone forever? Babil Khan, the elder son of late actor Irrfan Khan poured his heart out and shared a few anecdotes about his father on a public forum last year. Ahead of Irrfan Khan’s third death anniversary, let’s revisit the actor from Babil’s point of view. The young actor keeps on sharing about his father on social media.
Irrfan passed away at the age of 53 years after suffering from neuroendocrine cancer on April 29, 2020. He is remembered for films like, ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘The Namesake’, ‘ Piku’, ‘Inferno’, ‘Maqbool’ and many more.
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Babil recollected in that event that ‘Baba’ was his best friend, his soulmate. But he was a busy man, shooting most of the time. So, the ten-year-old Babil one day decided that he would meet God and tell him how lonely he was. He told his father and Irrfan readily accepted his proposal. Both of them drove to Igatpuri, the farmhouse of Irrfan. The ‘Piku’ actor told Babil to wear his swim trunks. Then he laid with his back on the water. “I’ve splashed around, tried to regain control,” Babil said.
Irrfan Khan pulled him out of the water and said ‘Exercise over, will do it tomorrow.” For, the next nine days, Babil did the same thing again and again. On the tenth day, Babil lost all interest in meeting God, and he got bored. But on that very day, he did not hesitate and tried to regain control. He let the river take away him. “Baba watched me float away. And the very moment, when my head was about to hit a rock, he pulled me out. He said, ‘Today you surrendered, today you met God,” Babil recollected.
However, little did he understand what his father was trying to teach him at that moment. After his father’s demise, Babil went back to the very place, where he went in search of God. “The sun sets in. The sky was violet. My feet were dipped into the water. And I told Baba, I can’t find the ground beneath my feet. Then I heard my baba’s words in my head, “Today you have surrendered. You have surrendered.” Babil keeps on sharing fond memories of his father as he progresses in his career path.
“He was the king and I was his jester. I wish he could have seen that I’ve grown into his prince. I wish he could see what he wished to see, but I was too late,” Babil wrote as he made his debut on the ramp.
Sharing the old-days picture, Babil wrote, “Questions keep me up at night. Those that I never asked then, those that I can never ask now. My inquiries are left for me to quench on my own, that’s okay, I will figure it out. I miss your laughter though, I don’t think there is an answer for that.” The frames show baby Babil was captured by Irrfan.”
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Babil also recollected that Irrfan Khan was keen to rehearse scenes with Babil. But he used to think, “What’s the hurry? Baba will be there forever and ever…” But the ‘ever’ turned into a ‘never’ in the blink of an eye…Babil has now realized why his ‘baba’ was in a hurry…
