Jacket and shirt by Rajesh Pratap Singh.
When he was 12, Babil Khan performed William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors on his school's annual day. In the middle of an important scene, Babil totally blanked out. As panic set in, he broke into Hindi and began improvising. The crowd's reaction went from muted awkwardness to cheerful laughter. As the packed auditorium gave his act a standing ovation, the thrilled 12-year-old scanned the room for a sight of his father. Maybe he had made it this time—after missing several important school events. Maybe he decided to surprise him. Nope.
As he quietly reconciled with this disappointment, several hundred kilometres away from Mumbai, Irrfan Khan was busy shooting a movie, unaware of the influence his craft had already caused at home. While Babil was elated that his mother, Sutapa Sikdar, was by his side-as she always was-he would nurse the wound of his father's absence for a long time.
Kimono by Yavi. Trousers by Naushad Ali. Mules by Christian Louboutin.
When I meet the now 23-year-old at his Oshiwara home, he talks about this episode vividly. It's a quiet Sunday afternoon and his sprawling house, where I used to meet Irrfan, has a calming aura. Unlike his father, who spoke with restraint, Babil is animated and extroverted, meticulously arranging his thoughts into words so no thread is left unaddressed. He ponders questions, shifts his sitting positions, and answers perceptively.
Denne historien er fra April 2022-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2022-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.