Babil Khan, son of the late actor Irrfan Khan, has announced his departure from Sai Rajesh's upcoming film, a Hindi remake of the 2023 Telugu film "Baby," following a period of online controversy. The young actor, who made his Bollywood debut with "Qala" in 2022, revealed his decision on social media, stating he would be taking some time off.
The announcement comes after a video of Babil Khan went viral, showing him in an emotional state. In the video, he called out Bollywood celebrities like Ananya Panday and Siddhant Chaturvedi for their alleged rude behavior. Following the video's release, Babil faced criticism and eventually deleted his Instagram account. He later returned, claiming his words were misinterpreted and that he intended to praise, not criticize, the mentioned actors.
Director Sai Rajesh responded to the situation with a lengthy note on Instagram Stories, questioning the actions of Babil's team and suggesting that only those mentioned in the video were being valued. This sparked a heated exchange between Babil and Sai Rajesh. Babil commented on Sai Rajesh's post, expressing his heartbreak and revealing that he had dedicated two years to the film, undergoing physical and emotional distress for the role. He stated he had even gone to the extreme of 'slitting his wrist' for the director's vision, although this statement should be viewed cautiously, especially considering the context of an online feud and emotional distress.
On May 17, 2025, Babil officially announced his exit from Sai Rajesh's film. In his statement, he wrote, "With a lot of grit, passion, and mutual respect, Sai Rajesh sir and I both got along on this journey of creating magic together. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, things didn't go ahead as everyone had planned." He further added, "Since I will be taking some time off currently, I wish the best to Sai Rajesh sir and the film team on their future journey. I know there is immense love between us, and we will meet soon in the future and create magic together."
Sai Rajesh also addressed the situation on social media, acknowledging Babil's decision and praising him as "one of the most talented and hardworking actors." He wrote, "I respect his decision of self-care first and wish him all the best and send him all the love in the future! I know we both will create that magic together for sure.” Despite the online feud, both Babil and Sai Rajesh expressed mutual respect and hopes for future collaborations.
Babil Khan, born on May 15, 1998, is the son of the late actor Irrfan Khan and writer Sutapa Sikdar. He began his career as a camera assistant before making his acting debut. He has received critical acclaim for his performances in "Qala" and the web series "The Railway Men." His upcoming projects include "The Umesh Chronicles" with Amitabh Bachchan and "Logout."
The departure from Sai Rajesh's film marks a pause in Babil Khan's burgeoning career. It remains to be seen what project he will undertake after his time off. Meanwhile, Sai Rajesh will have to look for another actor to fill the lead role in the Hindi remake of "Baby."
