“Bugs in my beard, slit my wrist”: Babil Khan SLAMS Sai Rajesh’s apology demand amid emotional outburst viral video controversy : Bollywood News

Late actor Irrfan Khan’s son and actor Babil Khan, has found himself at the centre of a heated controversy following a viral emotional breakdown video that sparked a public feud with filmmaker Sai Rajesh. The Qala star responded fiercely to Rajesh’s demand for an apology, revealing shocking details about the physical and emotional toll he endured while working on the director’s project, including living with bugs in his beard and even slitting his wrist for a role.

“Bugs in my beard, slit my wrist”: Babil Khan SLAMS Sai Rajesh’s apology demand amid emotional outburst viral video controversy

The controversy erupted after a video of Babil crying inconsolably surfaced online on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in which he labelled Bollywood as the “fakest industry” while passing comments on certain peers like Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav, Shanaya Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, and Arijit Singh. The emotional clip, which showed Babil visibly distraught, led to widespread concern among fans and speculation about his mental health. He briefly deactivated his Instagram account before returning to clarify that his words were “extremely misinterpreted” and meant to express admiration, not criticism.

However, the clarification issued by Babil’s team, which highlighted his admiration for the named actors, did not sit well with Sai Rajesh, the director of the Telugu film Baby, who was reportedly working with Babil on its Hindi remake. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Rajesh slammed Babil’s team, accusing them of playing “sympathy games” and implying that those not mentioned in Babil’s video were being disrespected. “Do you really think we’re that naive to just walk away silently? It feels like only those whose names were mentioned in his video deserve respect — and the rest of us are just fools for standing by him all this while?” Rajesh wrote, demanding a “sincere apology.”

Babil, clearly hurt by Rajesh’s remarks, took to the comments section of the post to express his anguish, claiming the extreme lengths he went to for the filmmaker’s project. “You really broke my heart. After everything I’ve given to you. 2 years of my life, complete physical atrocity to my body just so I can do justice to his character, I gave him my soul, rejected everything that came in my way for 2 years, anything and everything he needed, for 500 days of my life,” Babil wrote. He further disclosed, “Man, I had bugs in my beard because he needed that in the character. I gave him my laughter while I held back my tears. I slit my fu**ing wrist for him.” These shocking revelations, which included references to self-harm, stunned fans and industry insiders alike.

The Logout actor later deleted his comments, and Rajesh removed his original post, but screenshots of the exchange continue to circulate online.

Several Bollywood celebrities, including Ananya Panday, Kubbra Sait, Raghav Juyal, and Siddhant Chaturvedi, have rallied in support of Babil following the viral video. Actor Harshvardhan Rane also extended advice, urging Babil to focus on his craft and avoid “events and after-parties” to steer clear of negativity. “You are blessed with God-level genetics in acting, we need you to carry on the legacy!” Rane wrote.

Also Read: Harshvardhan Rane advises Babil Khan to ‘stay away from alcohol and any such stuff’ after viral emotional video