Ibrahim Ali Khan has been facing the internet’s wrath for a while now. His below-par performance in Nadaaniyan left the debate of nepotism wide open once again. Netizens questioned how several actors, producers and directors stand for favouring privileged off-springs over those who had worked through sleepless nights to get where they are. This conversation came following the speculations that Dharma had used AI to dub Ibrahim Ali Khan’s part in Nadaaniyan because of his lisp. However, while there has been no comment on the speculations, Ibrahim, in a recent conversation with GQ, has opened up about his hearing and speech disabilities.
Ibrahim Ali Khan opened up about how his hearing disability played a massive role in impacting his speech
Ibrahim Ali Khan sat for a conversation with GQ, where he was asked about his speech impediment. Talking about the same, the actor revealed that soon after he was born, he had an extremely bad case of jaundice, which went to his brainstem. He added that this led to him losing a major percentage of his hearing which eventually affected his speech.
Ibrahim Ali Khan further added that his speech was something he has worked extremely hard on. He revealed that he had to work with several speech coaches and therapists to get to where he is today. However, according to him, it was still a work in progress. He was quoted as saying:
“Soon after I was born, I had very bad jaundice and that went straight to my brainstem. I went on to lose quite a bit of my hearing and that impacted my speech. My speech is something that I’ve had to work hard on since I was a child, with coaches and therapists. It’s not perfect; I’m still working really hard on it.”
Ibrahim Ali Khan opened up about being sent to England at 14
In the same conversation, when Ibrahim Ali Khan was asked if being sent to England helped with his speech. He stated that it was hard to fit in a new country, but he still had the best four years of his life there. He added that he played sports and learnt a lot from his stay in England. However, his speech was extremely bad back then, which made the move even more difficult. He was quoted as saying:
“Being Indian, it was hard to fit in, but I had the best four years of my life. I played sports, made new friends and learnt a lot. My speech issue was so bad back then, and the move placed me in this new space where I had to survive.”
Ibrahim Ali Khan, further in the conversation, added that he doesn’t want to sound like a whining rich child who is not grateful for what he has been offered. However, being only 14 years old and in a boarding school was not easy for him. Despite the troubles, Ibrahim added that the experience played a big role in shaping his character and perspective on life. He was quoted as saying:
“I don’t mean to sound like some rich kid whining, but when you’re 14 and on your own, boarding school isn’t easy. It’s very strict. Yet, it shaped my character and changed my perspective on life.”
What are your thoughts on Ibrahim Ali Khan’s revelation about his hearing and speech impediments?
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