It has been a frantic few days for Irrfan and wife Sutapa Sikdar, but last morning, the mother of two wore a broad smile as she welcomed son Babil at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. Babil, who has been pursuing a bachelor's degree in film studies at the Westminster University in London, found himself stuck in the British capital as the United Kingdom braced for a partial lockdown while the Indian government issued travel restrictions amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

To bring attention to the plight of Babil and several other students in foreign countries, Sikdar, on March 17, had shared a post on Facebook that read, "As a mother, I am worried as hell, but I don't understand when the Indian government has been so good with other students, why [is] it not helping Indian students stuck in London? Let the students come back home, my earnest appeal to GoI. (sic)"

Her efforts bore fruit as Babil, 19, returned to India yesterday, and has since been quarantined at their Madh Island home. A source reveals, "Babil's flight was late by over an hour. After he was let out of the airport post the screening, Sutapa whisked him off to their Madh residence where he will be under self-quarantine for 14 days. They are taking the necessary precautions."