Exclusive! Qala actor Babil Khan: I'm not dealing with the pressure of carrying the legacy of baba Irrfan forward yet

Nobody imagined Qala as it is in the trailer when it was first announced. What were your reactions when you saw the story you worked on unfold in the form of a promotional video like that? Of course, we knew there would be something when Netflix is backing it, but it was a good surprise. What about you all? How did you feel about the trailer?

Tripti: I was obviously very excited and a little nervous too. When something you have worked on releases, it's almost like you giving a piece of your heart. That's exactly how it felt. Luckily, we got a positive response to the trailer, very happy about it.

Anvita, Qala has several meanings in different languages. Somewhere, it means the beginning; somewhere, it means extraction; and in some languages, a castle is called Qala. Which would you say fits best with your film?

It means art. It also happens to be the name of the daughter of Urmila (played by Swastika Mukherjee).

Babil, as I mentioned, everybody is looking forward to your debut. So firstly, what are you feeling like?

There's no one emotion. I'm overwhelmed, excited, happy, grateful, nervous, and scared. The film, though, looks absolutely beautiful. On set, you don't realize it as much. You see a camera, lights, et al., so you don't see things as a unit or one space. To see it that way and see what Anvita has done, was pure joy.

Secondly, did you imagine things going the way they did?

At that time, I didn't imagine anything because I was so scared to imagine it. I'm very happy; I didn't imagine anything. I'm just taking it as it comes, that's all.

You know, it is your film debut and your OTT debut. Ok, I cannot say congratulations for the double treat, but, you know, I want to see how you feel about this whole thing. I'm sure you'd have liked to appear first on the big screen, especially given your legacy and how Irrfan Sir was this legend all over the world. Did you imagine your debut would be on the big screen because of that?

No, nothing like that. I didn't imagine my debut would be anything. That's not to say that I don't want to be in theatres. We've grown up watching films in theatres so I would like to be in theatres, of course. I would like to do OTT as well. I just want to be a part of good stories. When stories sell thanks to me as an actor, I will see you in theatres.

Would you say that because you are carrying a legacy, there's a lot of pressure? How do you deal with it?

There's a lot of pressure, yes. I didn't deal with that. I went through life carrying it and it gave me experiences. Anvita played a huge part in changing my point of view and making me feel comfortable in my own skin. I wasn't back then at all. Slowly, going through life, the meaning of pressure itself changed. I understood that pressure was not there to scare you but to help you. That's what it was.

Swastika, you, on the other hand, have been ruling over OTT for a long time. So, would you say you were more hands-on on the sets than most?

Really, am I? Awards kidhar hai? It's not about me ruling or even about OTT. I've been working for the last 22 years, and it's the only thing I know. I don't know anything else. If somebody asks me what I would have wanted to become if not an actor, I would say nothing because I don't know anything else. I'm forever in love with the camera. I had to transform myself a lot.

It's not easy. Every job has its own difficulties, and they seem pretty impossible. I remember that on specific days of the shoot, I would call up a family member or friend and tell them that I was in such a very happy space in the morning and that I didn't know how to put it off. Something happened, and we ended up giving our best. Yeah, experiences help. I've been doing this for so long that I think my switch works better.

Of course, your director is there to guide you. You have such amazing co-actors. Thus, life and work become easier.

Babil, did you want to add something?

She came on set one day and said that she was in such a good mood that she didn't know how will she cry. We all get confused because when we see her work, it's like she's amazing. So to see her panic about acting, we were like, do you also panic?

Swastika: It happens on a daily basis. We all panic but then go with the flow.

Tripti, your character is like a deja vu of some tragic stories in Bollywood. Would you say that they were an inspiration? Is this story inspired by real-life incidents?

Not really. Anvita and I run away from references. In fact, when I read the script the first time, I asked her if she wanted me to watch old films since this is set in the 1940s. She refused and told me not to watch anything, so I don't look at another person and try to copy that. She wanted me to be myself. I spent some time with her working on the character. Then I spent time building Qala. We spent nearly two months just building this person up from the very beginning. That's what helped.

Anvita Dutt, What made you decide to write Qala after Bulbul? What exactly happened, and how did the story come about?

I wrote the story in 2013 and Bulbbul in 2012. I'm making my films in the order that I wrote them. Seven more to go.

What was the inspiration behind Qala? What made you feel that you wanted to tell this tale?

I really wish I knew where ideas came from. If there's a window for inspiration, I would sit there all the time. As a writer, stories come to you. You feel moved by something and write about it. That's how the stories get written. Some get completed, and others don't.

What are your upcoming projects?

Triptii: I will soon announce it on my Instagram.

Babil: Right now, the only focus is Qala.

Swastika: I'm going to chill. I worked enough this year.