On the fifth anniversary of Irrfan Khan’s passing, his son Babil Khan shared an emotional message remembering his father. Posting an old photo together, Babil expressed his deep yearning to reunite with Irrfan and promised that when that moment arrives, he will hold him close.
Nostalgic Throwback Photo
Babil shared a throwback photo on his Instagram, showing him resting against Irrfan Khan’s shoulder while both sport sunglasses and pose playfully. Along with the photo, he penned a note, “With you, without you. Life goes on… With me, without me. Soon I’ll be there. With you, not without you. And we will run together, and fly, Drink from waterfalls, pink not blue. I will hug you so tight, and I will cry, Then we’ll laugh, just like we used to. I miss you.”
Irrfan Khan’s Battle and Last Film
After several years of battle with a neuroendocrine tumor, Irrfan Khan died on April 29, 2020, at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital. His final film appearance was in ‘Angrezi Medium’, released in 2020 just a month before his passing.
Shoojit Sircar’s Heartfelt Tribute
‘Piku’ director Shoojit Sircar also penned a heartfelt note, remembering the late actor. He wrote, “Friend, wherever you are, I know you’re doing well and have probably made many new friends there. I’m sure people have fallen in love with your charm, as we all have. Here, I’m doing fine. But there’s one thing you might not be aware of Irfaan – just how much you’re loved and missed here. You’d be surprised. I miss our jhal muri sessions and the laughter we shared. Your discussions on the magic of life were always fascinating. I cherish those moments. Remember our long conversations about spiritualism and science when you were in London? Those talks were incredibly deep.”
“I’ve got the books you recommended, and I often think about our discussions on life and death. Your smile and those mystical eyes of yours are etched in my memory. It’s not easy living every day without you; there’s a huge vacuum. Irfaan, I wanted to let you know that Babil and Ayan are doing well. Babil and I play football together, and I’ve become a bit of a guardian to him. Don’t worry, I’m looking out for him. Sutapa and I talk often. Me and Ronnie, we’ve just finished a film project with Babil. He’s growing into a fine artist, slowly carving his own space in the industry. I’m sure he’s on the right path, just like you always envisioned. I know you’re watching over us from wherever you are, and that’s a comfort. There’s so much to talk about, but for now, I’ll just say adieu, friend. Lots of love”, he added.
Babil Khan’s Recent Work
Meanwhile, Babil was recently seen in ‘Logout’.

For Yung Kai, reality still feels like something he has to pinch himself to believe. The China-born, Vancouver-based singer-songwriter, whose bittersweet breakout “Blue” took the internet by storm when it dropped in 2024, is living in what he describes as a dreamscape—a surreal loop of new followers, heartfelt comments, and the slow realization that his bedroom pop has made it to faraway lands.

“Every day just feels like a dream,” Kai says over a Zoom call. “I can wake up, go on Instagram, and see so many new followers, comments, and nice things people have to say. It’s so crazy. I can’t even process it.”

In the months after the song went viral, even becoming meme-worthy, Kai began playing his first live shows. These weren’t in his home city of Vancouver, but at festivals like Wanderland in the Philippines and Pelupo in Thailand in March this year. While many artists cut their teeth in small clubs or low-key open mics, Kai calls it more of a learning experience than just a triumph. “I feel like it wasn’t the best performance I could have done,” he admits. “But it was a good start. I’m taking singing lessons, guitar lessons, and rehearsing with my band. I’m working on it.”

That work ethic is increasingly important now that he’s on the lineup for major events, including Asia-focused label 88Rising’s Head in the Clouds festival in Los Angeles in May. He’s still not sure what to expect from it—but he’s preparing like someone who knows it could be a career-defining moment. A setlist shake-up is on the table. So is a new sense of artistic identity, one that’s stretching far beyond the viral success of “Blue.”

Then, there are more shows in August in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, followed by a support slot in the U.S. on alternative artist D4vd’s tour in September. “I’ve literally never been on tour,” he says. “And now I’m going on tour with D4vd. It’s so insane.”

It all started with “Blue” blowing up on TikTok and Instagram. The song was inspired by the C-drama When I Fly Towards You, a show Kai says a lot have probably discovered through the song now. “It’s probably put a lot of people on [to watching].” He says part of his songwriting process is to often ask himself if a tune would fit into a K-drama or a C-drama. “I imagine the song in a scene and ask, ‘Does it work?’ If it does, then nice. I’ll save it for later. If it doesn’t, I just toss it,” he says.

This romantic lens—lyrical, cinematic, and emotionally sincere—has become one of Kai’s signatures. His recent single “Do You Think You Could Love Me?” continues that tradition, with all the softness and longing of a slow-burning drama. Kai is not just a sad-song machine, though. 

Lately, he’s been watching the anime Ranking of Kings. “It’s not a romance,” he says with a laugh. “It’s about this little guy who’s supposed to become king, but his dad is huge or something, and he’s tiny. It’s really cute. Maybe I’ll take inspiration from it. Maybe not.”

It’s a fleeting thought, but it reflects something essential about Kai’s creative process: it’s not linear, and it’s never forced. “I’ve tried forcing myself to write a song a day,” he says. “And I got some okay songs out of it. But the best ones? Those come randomly. In the shower. On a walk. When I’m playing Valorant. And then, boom—I lock in. No food, no water, just FL Studio for like eight or 10 hours straight.”

When asked about his listeners, Kai immediately mentions India, where he gets his highest engagement on Instagram. It’s a detail that’s stuck with him, and one that’s informing future plans. An India tour is “under heavy consideration,” though nothing is confirmed just yet. 

And now, as he moves beyond his first shows, prepares for festivals, and flirts with a full tour, Yung Kai is trying to stay grounded. He’s designing his first merch (“some cute stuff,” he says, playing up his interest in fashion), continuing to sharpen his guitar and vocal chops, and leaning into the dream-state that still surrounds him. 

In the meantime, “Blue” continues on its own trajectory, with a new version out featuring pop artist Minnie from the South Korea-based girl group (G)I-dle. He recalls being a fan for the last six or seven years, and when he got to meet Minnie in South Korea, time just flew by between hanging out in the studio (she had already recorded her parts for the song), shooting videos and photos, and grabbing food together. “I wish it lasted longer,” he says. 

Nevertheless, he’s a fan of the outcome—a fresh voice that adds another perspective to an already-beloved hit. Kai adds, “Her verse feels so emotional and so powerful. I feel like it’s so much more powerful than the verse that I wrote. That’s just my opinion, but I love her verse so much.” 

Rapid fire – Yung Kai’s all-time favorites: 

Favorite K-Drama

Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Favorite Asian artist

Wave To Earth

Favorite Discord server 

My server, Yung Kai World

Favorite meme around “Blue”

I have to say, “OIIA.” It’s so funny! 

What happens when a typewriter falls in love with the typist? Kovarty, the Malayalam short film, explores this strange relationship.

The short, with Rajisha Vijayan in the lead and directed by Rohin Raveendran Nair, is among the four short films selected for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival’s MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone programme. This is the second edition of the programme in collaboration with Apple that showcases short films shot entirely on iPhones. This year one film each was selected from Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil and the filmmakers are mentored by established directors. In Rohin’s case it was Lijo Jose Pellissery.

Premiered in Mumbai a few weeks ago, Kovarty is set in Thozhuthilmukku, a village of the 1980s. A typewriter arrives at the sub-registrar’s office, much to the delight of the typist, also a new employee, Daisy (Rajisha), the office staff and the public. She names it Qwerty [stands for the usual layout on English-language typewriter], which eventually becomes Kovarty for others.

Daisy comes to realise that the typewriter is in love with her, a secret that is known only to the wall-mounted pendulum clock. Daisy, who is heart-broken after her lover abandons her, finds happiness in her relationship with the machine. Chacko, the sexton of the village church, who secretly loves Daisy, happens to learn about this, which leads to some serious repercussions.

Kovarty, which beautifully blends love and magical realism, is written by Rohin and Vimal Gopalakrishnan, the co-writer of Mukundan Unni Associates. “Vimal brought this idea and later we developed it into a script. We realised that the story has a great potential for romance and magic realism, especially because we both are huge fans of Marquez [writer Gabriel García Márquez].”

Rohin Raveendran Nair
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Rohin adds that Lijo has been like “a big pillar of support. He told us that the script was so tight that he hardly had any changes to suggest.” Lijo has also given the voice for the clock.

It was on Lijo’s suggestion that the film, just over 30 minutes long, was shot at Kavalam in Alappuzha district. “We had scouted for locations in Kochi but could not find a spot that was untouched my any kind of construction work. Kavalam was perfect. The building was already there but we changed the interiors.”

Rajisha Vijayan in the Malayalam short film Kovarty directed by Rohin Raveendran Nair
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Rohin says that Rajisha was their only choice to play Daisy. “That is mainly because of her body of work. Also, we have not seen her in such a role. Both Vimal and me were confident about casting her as Daisy.”

The crew of Kovarty comprises names from Malayalam and other industries. Among the Malayalis are production designer Sreelekshmy Sreekumar, who has worked with Krishand, and costume designer Gayathri Kishore, whose recent work is Identity.

Rohin Raveendran Nair (right) with cinematographer Swapnil Sonawane during the shoot of Kovarty
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Seasoned technicians Swapnil S Sonawane and Sunil R Borkar are the directors of photography. Besides frames that celebrate the milieu, especially the landscape and the water, there are some unique shots from within the typewriter itself, making them the machine’s POV. Using plumeria flowers in the narrative — Rajisha wears one every day on her braided hair, adds to the charm of storytelling.

Fact file

Rohin started his career as a camera intern in the Marathi film, Chumbak. Among his short films is the critically-acclaimed The Booth, produced by Vikramaditya Motwane.

As a cinematographer, Rohin has shot numerous commercials, non-fiction and fiction projects. He is the cinematographer of the documentary Testimony of Ana that won the National award for the Best Non-Feature Film (2022). He has also worked in the segment An Unsuitable Girl, which is part of the documentary series Love Storiyaan on Amazon Prime, and has worked in one episode of the Netflix series, Decoupled.

This year there were 1200 entries for the MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone programme. Other short films selected are the Hindi film Tinctoria, directed by Amrita Bagchi, Marathi film Mangya directed by Chanakya Vyas, and Tamil film Seeing Red by Shalini Vijayakumar. Mentors for these filmmakers were Vikramaditya Motwane, Konkona Sen Sharma and Vetrimaaran respectively.

Rohin, currently based out of Mumbai, has roots in Kozhikode, Kerala. Born and brought up in Delhi, he studied cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He has written and directed a couple of short films. His first major work was the web series Sacred Games in which he was second unit director and cinematographer for both seasons. His recent release is the Netflix series, Black Warrant, in which he directed the third episode.

Rajisha Vijayan in the Malayalam short film Kovarty directed by Rohin Raveendran Nair
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Rohin, meanwhile, plans to direct a Malayalam feature film, a thriller set in Wayanad, in which he is also the co-writer. “Even though I am comfortable in Hindi, in the current scenario it is difficult to make independent movies in that industry. And most of the good content there comes in the long form format. I think that the ecosystem in Malayalam is better for a filmmaker.”

Kovarty is streaming on YouTube.