‘GROWING UP PHASE A TRICKY ONE’
Actor Irrfan Khan, who’s on board the HT Paathshala initiative, says the intention of education should be to flourish kids’ personality
Afather to two sons (Ayaan and Babil), actor Irrfan Khan is a strong believer of the role of education in a child’s life, and encourages his kids to follow their dreams. His latest film, Hindi Medium, also sheds light on the facilities available for underprivileged children in the field of education.
So, it felt like an extension of his philosophy, when he associated with HT Paathshala — an educational initiative to help underprivileged children get the right kind of education. Excerpts, from a chat with the 50-year-old.
Tell us about your association with HT Paathshala
I got to know about this initiative, and it’s nice to see the use of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) fund. I wish success to this initiative.
As a father yourself, what do you have to say about the education your sons are getting?
I just push them in the direction of things that interest them. I don’t want to put conditions in front of them or expect a particular result. They should be interested in what they are doing. I do keep a check. I know that my kids would not like to by-heart a thing. There are systems where you don’t need to do that, where you don’t learn a lesson and replicate it.
What’s your take on the education system in schools these days? Are you satisfied with it?
There are different systems of education that are operating. Some, where there is no practical knowledge imparted to the children. The education is not according to their age. I don’t think we’ve explored much in this area. The intention of education should be to flourish the personality. A kid should be able to explore his talent and interests, and get introduced to subjects practically. This growing [up] age is a very tricky phase. The education system should have a proper understanding at what age which subject should be introduced.
Your film, Hindi Medium, also spreads the message of education for all. What made you sign the project?
This film is special to me. The subject and the way it was narrated convinced me to come on board. I was looking to do a comedy which parents and kids can watch together. It’s a very entertaining film.
Talking about following one’s dreams, did you always want to become an actor?
No, I discovered it much later. I wanted to become a sportsman. There were some limitations and I couldn’t get the support that I needed in my career. You cannot do it on your own. That was the time when I discovered that this (acting) was a very interesting field.