"Jaundice Went Straight To My Brain": Ibrahim On His Hearing, Speech Issues

New Delhi:

Ibrahim Ali Khan, who made his acting debut with Nadaaniyan, recently shared that he has had his own share of personal challenges growing up.

In an interview with GQ India, Ibrahim spoke about his speech impediment and the journey he undertook to overcome it.

“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,” he shared.

Ibrahim’s early health struggles required medical attention and later led his family to send him to boarding school in England, even while he was still coping with his speech difficulties. He described the experience as a turning point.

“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. 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,” he recalled.

In Nadaaniyan, Ibrahim starred alongside Khushi Kapoor.