Babil Khan on social media trolling: ‘I will be myself’, says actor after six years in industry

Actor Babil Khan, son of late actor Irrfan Khan, has spoken about facing online criticism for his emotional and expressive nature, saying he has learnt to detach himself from the negativity without giving up on being himself.

In a recent conversation with acting coach Rachit Singh, Babil reflected on how social media users have often labelled his behaviour as ‘overacting’. He said that while the comments can still hurt, they no longer have the same impact on him as they once did.

“I will be myself. I have faced a lot for being myself, but finally I don't care. It still hurts, but that power of hurt is very little. I still wear my heart on my sleeves. I can just understand my relationship with the hurt, have a detachment from the experience, and move forward,” he said.

The actor added that his six-year journey in the industry had taught him to be unapologetic about his personality and not allow public opinion to dictate how he expresses himself.

Babil recalls being trolled over viral videos

Babil faced widespread trolling in 2024 after a video from an event showed him repeatedly apologising to a woman after accidentally photobombing her. While some viewers saw his reaction as an expression of courtesy, others described it as ‘fake’ and ‘pretentious’.

Speaking about the incident, Babil said his response was natural and driven by his instinct at the time. He acknowledged that self-doubt also played a part, as he was conscious that people might interpret his behaviour as overacting simply by watching the video.

The actor faced another round of criticism in May 2025, when a video of him breaking down while speaking about Bollywood went viral. His team subsequently clarified that his comments had been taken out of context and that he had been having a difficult day.

The repeated scrutiny, Babil said, has not made him abandon his emotional nature. Instead, he has learnt to understand how he relates to hurt and move on from negative experiences.

Actor says emotional nature is not a sign of weakness

During a rapid-fire segment of the conversation, Babil addressed the perception that being emotional makes a person weak.

He said people often assume that he lacks the strength to deal with difficult situations because he is expressive and wears his emotions openly. However, he rejected that assumption, making it clear that his emotional nature should not be mistaken for an inability to endure challenges.

Babil's comments echo his earlier reflections on being comfortable with his personality despite criticism. In previous interviews, he has spoken about the pressure of navigating the film industry and the difficulty of dealing with online judgement.

In a September 2026 conversation marking Teacher's Day, Babil also credited filmmaker Shoojit Sircar and acting coach Rachit Singh for guiding him through his journey. He said he had worked closely with Singh for six years on surrender and awareness, adding that the coach's workshops had changed his perspective and helped build his confidence as an actor and as a person.

Babil Khan's acting journey

Babil began his career behind the camera, working as a camera assistant on his father Irrfan Khan's film Qarib Qarib Singlle. He made his acting debut in 2022 with Qala, directed by Anvitaa Dutt and also starring Triptii Dimri and Swastika Mukherjee. The film received positive reviews from critics.

He subsequently appeared in the 2023 series The Railway Men, which earned him praise, and the coming-of-age comedy Friday Night Plan, alongside Juhi Chawla.

In 2025, Babil starred in Logout, after which he took a break from work and stepped away from the public spotlight and social media.

He returned to social media in October 2025 and resumed work on an upcoming project in May 2026. Although he has confirmed that he is working on a series, he has not disclosed further details about it.

The actor is also reportedly preparing to make his debut in South Indian cinema with a film directed by Babu Janardhanan. However, Babil has not confirmed the reported project.