Co-written and directed by Anvita Dutt, psychological drama film Qala stars Babil Khan, Tripti Dimri and Swastika Mukherjee
Babil Khan has been honoured with the ‘Best Debut Male - Film’ title at the OTTplay Awards 2023. The second edition of the first pan-India OTT awards took place at a glitzy ceremony in Mumbai on October 29. Babil won the award for his performance in filmmaker Anvita Dutt’s psychological drama film Qala which also features Tripti Dimri and Swastika Mukherjee in pivotal roles. The film’s screenplay is penned by Anvita and Muhammad Asif Ali.
Qala’s plot, lead characters and music
Streaming on Netflix, the story of Qala is set in the 1940s, and it’s said to be inspired by K Viswanath’s Swathi Kiranam and Miloš Forman’s Amadeus. The plot follows the journey of a young gifted singer, named Qala Manjushree (Tripti), who grapples under her domineering mother Urmila Manjushree (Swastika). In the movie, Babil plays the character of a talented singer, named Jagan Batwal, whose paths cross with Qala. The film’s music, composed by Amit Trivedi, made headlines, particularly the song Ghodey Pe Sawaar which went viral on the internet. It was sung by Sireesha Bhagavatula.
Babil Khan on winning the ‘Best Debut Male - Film’ title at OTTplay Awards 2023
Receiving the ‘Best Debut Male - Film’ award, presented to him by…, Babil said, “I was extremely terrified while doing the film, but we’re always chasing happiness. It has translated. It lights up the darkness within you and makes you who you are. So, stop chasing happiness and accept the pain within you.”
Babil’s notable projects so far
Son of the late acting legend Irrfan Khan, Babil has previously appeared in writer-director Vatsal Neelakantan’s Friday Night Plan which also features actors Amrith Jayan and Medha Rana. The actor’s first web series is the highly anticipated The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984. As the title suggests, the story is based on the Bhopal gas tragedy. Created by Shiv Rawail, the series features R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon and Divyendu Sharma in crucial roles.
OTTplay Awards 2023
The much-awaited OTTplay Awards 2023 unfolded in a glitzy ceremony at Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai, on October 29. The star-studded event was attended by the who’s who of the entertainment world and the OTT space. Danube OTTplay Awards 2023 was co-presented by Dabur Chyawanprash and driven by Volkswagen, with Colors Infinity being the telecast partner.
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