Ibrahim Ali Khan reveals speech, hearing issues: ‘I had very bad jaundice soon after birth, it went to my brain’

Ibrahim Ali Khan shares his journey from childhood struggles with speech impediments to his recent film debut.

Ibrahim Ali Khan, who debuted this year on March 7, 2025, with Nadaaniyan, has always had a chocolate boy persona with his charm and being a fascinating mirror image of his father's looks. However, with the current wave of backlash against the ‘nepo babies,’ as Saif Ali Khan's son, he too faced a fair bit of scrutiny from netizens after his debut film. But beyond the glamorous life and star-studded surname, he, too, faced his fair share of quiet struggles in childhood.

Ibrahim Ali Khan suffered from speech impairment in his childhood.(Instagram)

In an interview with GQ India, Ibrahim opened up about his speech impediment problem in his childhood and what it took to overcome the challenge.

Ibrahim Ali Khan got jaundice as a baby

Before Ibrahim stepped into the spotlight of rolling cameras, his childhood saw a turbulent period marked by serious health struggles that required the attention of health professionals.

Ibrahim shared how infant jaundice affected his speech. He said, “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.”

Shift to boarding school

Ibrahim's family sent him to boarding school in England while he had his speech impediment. The move was a life-altering experience. He called it ‘shaping my character.'

He talked about his boarding school and reminisced, “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.”

It also puts out a reminder that no matter how daunting a new place is, given time and patience, it has the potential to ‘shape your character and change perspective on life.’  More importantly, as a young boy in a foreign country, going to a boarding school while struggling with speech problems, Ibrahim had to adapt to the new changes, making him more resilient because of the experience. It also sheds light on the crucial role new surroundings play in personal growth and mental resilience, compelling you to adapt to survive and eventually overcome the adversity at hand. From speech struggles to stardom, it is definitely a remarkable journey of resilience.