On Sunday, actor Babil Khan, son of the late Irrfan Khan made headlines after he posted a video expressing his feelings of alienation in the film industry. In his now deleted viral video, Babil named several industry personalities, including Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Arjun Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav, and Arijit Singh, while criticizing the industry's treatment of outsiders.
Furthermore, the actor even deactivated his Instagram account. Hours later, Babil's family issued a clarification regarding his mention of Ananya Panday, stating that it was misinterpreted and 'Babil gets to have difficult days'.
His mother, Sutapa Sikdar, shared a statement on her Instagram account, which read, "Over the past few years, Babil Khan has earned immense love and appreciation for his work, as well as for his openness about his mental health journey. Like anyone else, Babil is allowed to have difficult days, and this was one of them. We want to reassure all his well-wishers that he is safe and will be feeling better soon. That said, a video of Babil has been widely misinterpreted and taken out of context."
The note further read, "In the clip, Babil was sincerely acknowledging a few of his peers whom he believes are making meaningful contributions to the evolving landscape of Indian cinema. His mention of artists like Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav, Arjun Kapoor, and Arijit Singh came from a place of genuine admiration for their authenticity, passion, and efforts to restore credibility and heart in the industry. We respectfully urge media publications and the public to consider the full context of his words rather than concluding fragmented video clips- Team Babil Khan.'
{{/usCountry}}The note further read, "In the clip, Babil was sincerely acknowledging a few of his peers whom he believes are making meaningful contributions to the evolving landscape of Indian cinema. His mention of artists like Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav, Arjun Kapoor, and Arijit Singh came from a place of genuine admiration for their authenticity, passion, and efforts to restore credibility and heart in the industry. We respectfully urge media publications and the public to consider the full context of his words rather than concluding fragmented video clips- Team Babil Khan.'
{{/usCountry}}Talking about the video, which went viral, Babil Khan said, "Bollywood is so f****ed, Bollywood is so, so rude." He further stated, "What I mean to say is that, I just want you guys to know that there are people like Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya Pandey and Arjun Kapoor and Siddhant Chaturvedi and Raghav Juyal and Adarsh Gourav and even... Arijit Singh? There are so, so many more names."