Ibrahim Ali Khan opens up on childhood struggles: Spent years working with speech coaches and therapists to overcome the issue

Despite hailing from one of Bollywood’s most prominent families, Ibrahim Ali Khan’s journey to stardom has been anything but smooth. The son of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, Ibrahim made his much-talked-about debut with Nadaaniyan, only to face harsh criticism from trolls. But what many don’t know is the deeply personal battle he’s been fighting since childhood—a speech impediment that stems from a serious health scare at birth.
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In a candid chat with GQ, Ibrahim revealed that he was born with a severe case of jaundice that impacted both his hearing and speech. “Soon after I was born, I had very bad jaundice and that went straight to my brainstem,” he shared. “I went on to lose quite a bit of my hearing, and that impacted my speech.”

Now 23, Ibrahim has spent years working with speech coaches and therapists to overcome the issue. “My speech is something I’ve had to work hard on since I was a child. It’s not perfect; I’m still working really hard on it,” he admitted.

Opening up about his time in boarding school in England, Ibrahim shared how the experience shaped him. “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,” he recalled. “My speech issue was so bad back then, and the move placed me in this new space where I had to survive.”

Ibrahim was quick to shut down any assumptions of privilege, clarifying that life at boarding school was no cakewalk. “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.”

As the spotlight grows brighter on Ibrahim post-' Nadaaniyan', his story stands as a reminder that everyone—even a star kid—has their own battles to fight.