Babil Khan breaks silence on online trolling over apologising incident: ‘Some memes hurt me, but I didn’t lose trust in myself’

Last year, Babil Khan, son of the late Irrfan Khan and Sutapa Sikdar, found himself at the receiving end of online trolling after a video of him at an event went viral. In the clip, the young actor was seen repeatedly apologising to a female celebrity after accidentally stepping in front of her during a red carpet appearance. While some netizens praised his chivalry, others labelled his behaviour as “extra” and “pretentious.”
Babil recalls going viral for repeatedly apologising to a female celebrity on the red carpet
“I was being too nice, though,” Babil told Midday with a smile, admitting that his reaction was purely instinctive. “That ‘sorry sorry sorry’ was me being anxious. Whatever it became was a beast of its own. Some particular memes hurt me. I sat with [the feeling]. But I was scuba diving after that. I still could make music and read my books. It didn’t make me trust myself less.”
The incident, however, had a lasting impact on the actor, prompting him to step back from public appearances. Babil clarified that the decision was a personal one, not driven by bitterness. “I felt there were things I needed to work on within myself,” he explained. “It wasn’t out of bitterness.”

Babil on evolving masculinity
So what did he seek to change within? “I thought that there has to be a balance between the job of a celebrity, that of an actor and who you are as a human being. You have to find bridges between all of them.”

Despite the online noise, Babil has continued to maintain the same sense of sensitivity and dignity that was visible in his debut performance in Qala (2022). He believes now is the time to redefine masculinity. “After Gen-Z, generation Alpha has come in. It’s a great opportunity to evolve the alpha male. You can be the most macho man and still be respectful.”