Actor Babil has been turning heads not only for his sartorial choices but also for his skills as an artiste. However, the 25-year-old receives appreciation and trolling in equal parts for his choices.

“I am being lauded for [my fashion], but I am being trolled a lot, too, because I make risky choices,” says Babil, adding, “But I’m not scared of putting myself out there. Yes, I will get trolled, but if you don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t think from a space of ego, then you are much more productive and will see more growth in your art.”

Talking about the lessons imparted by his father, the late actor Irrfan, Babil shares, “When he was around, I never failed or felt it. It was only after he left that I got a fear of failure.” He continues, “Watching him pass away, I got such a strong sense of mortality. There is no time to doubt yourself. Kya hoga? Log mazaak udaaayenge? Troll karenge? At least you put yourself out there and that’s your win. That’s what I learned.”

Babil’s connection with his mother, Sutapa Sikdar, is also deep and integral to his journey. “I am nothing without my mother. Every move I make, I need to have her by my side,” says the actor, adding, “If I go to an event and everyone is pampering me, when I come back home, my mum sits me down and gives me 15 criticisms on how I can become better. That’s how she keeps me grounded.”

He often gets asked on social media if he’s intoxicated most of the time. Addressing that, he says, “People keep saying, ‘He looks high’, because of my eyes. But, yeh eyes mujhe baba se mili hain, I have baggy eyes and that’s it.”