My father gave his life trying to elevate art of acting in adverse conditions: Irrfan's son Babil
Mumbai: Actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil on Wednesday said he doesn't like the political debates around Sushant Singh Rajput's death, but there is now a wind of change in cinema, something his father kept fighting for throughout his life.
Babil said his father constantly tried to challenge the existing ecosystem in the Hindi film industry, but he would be defeated at the box office by hunks with six-pack abs delivering formulaic dialogues.
Irrfan passed away in April at the age of 54 following his battle with a rare form of cancer.
"My father gave his life trying to elevate the art of acting in the adverse conditions of noughties Bollywood and alas, for almost all of his journey, was defeated in the box office by hunks with six-pack abs delivering theatrical one-liners and defying the laws of physics and reality," Babil wrote in a long Instagram post recalling his father's struggle.
"Photoshopped item songs, just blatant sexism and same-old conventional representations of patriarchy (and you must understand, to be defeated at the box office means that majority of the investment in Bollywood would be going to the winners, engulfing us in a vicious circle)," he added.
The cinema student said the mainstream films work because the audience want and enjoy movies that only offer entertainment.
"All we sought was entertainment and safety of thought, so afraid to have our delicate illusion of reality shattered, so unaccepting of any shift in perception.
"All effort to explore the potential of cinema and its implications on humanity and existentialism was at best kept by the sidelines," he added.
Recalling the days before he went to a film school in London, Babil said his father "warned" him that he would have to prove himself there as Bollywood is "seldom respected in world cinema".
He said Irrfan had asked him to inform others about Indian cinema that's beyond the control of Bollywood.
At his film school, the aspiring artiste said, he found that Bollywood was not respected and people had no awareness of Indian cinema of the 1960s and 1990s.
"There was literally one single lecture in the world cinema segment about Indian cinema called 'Bollywood and Beyond', that too gone through in a class full of chuckles.
"It was tough to even get a sensible conversation about the real Indian cinema of Satyajit Ray and K Asif going. You know why that is? Because we, as the Indian audience, refused to evolve."
Babil said today he feels there is a change, a "new fragrance in the wind" with a new generation searching for meaning.
Referring to how the conversations after Rajput's death have been about starting anew, he hoped it leads to something positive.
"We must stand our ground, not let this thirst for a deeper meaning be repressed again... Although I resent that Sushant's demise has now become a fluster of political debates, but if a positive change is manifesting, in the way of the Taoist, we embrace it (sic)."
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West Asia crisis: MEA establishes control room to assist Indians
New Delhi (PTI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up a control room to assist those affected by the escalating crisis in West Asia.
The MEA has said almost one crore Indian citizens live in West Asia and their safety and well-being is of "utmost priority" for New Delhi.
As the Iran-US conflict widened, the Indian embassy in Iran moved hundreds of Indian students from the Iranian capital of Tehran to safer locations.
"A Control Room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current situation in West Asia and the Gulf region," the MEA said on Wednesday.
"The Control Room can be contacted from 9 am to 9 pm at: 1800118797 (Toll Free) +91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104, +91 11 2301 7905," it added.
The US launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The MEA on Tuesday noted that almost one crore Indian citizens live and work in the Gulf region, and their "safety and well-being is of utmost priority."
"We cannot be impervious to any development that negatively affects them," it said.
The MEA said New Delhi will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and take relevant decisions in the national interest, adding it is in touch with the governments in the region as well as other key partners.
A Special Control Room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current situation in West Asia and the Gulf region. Details are as below ⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 4, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/nK3d6SY9Pa pic.twitter.com/v2EhUI5B1x
