Actor Babil Khan, son of the late Irrfan Khan, has addressed the controversy surrounding a now-deleted video in which he was seen criticising fellow celebrities. The clip, which quickly circulated online, prompted the actor to delete his Instagram account on Sunday. However, Babil has since returned to the platform, where he shared a clarification, stating that his comments were “extremely misinterpreted.”
Babil posted a story shared by actor Kubbra Sait, which included an official statement from his family. In the caption, he wrote, “Thank you so much. This video was extremely misinterpreted. I was trying to show support to Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Gaurav Adarsh, Arjun Kapoor, Raghav Juyal, and Arijit Singh.” He added that while he did not have the energy to continue responding to the controversy, he felt a sense of responsibility towards his peers whom he admires.
Babil also shared Instagram Stories praising Raghav Juyal, calling him “my icon, my idol, and my elder brother that I never had.”
Amid the online chatter, actor Siddhant Chaturvedi also came to Babil’s defense. He shared a video clip of Babil stating, “Mujhe itihaas likhna hai, kitaab nahi (I want to write history, not a book).” Reposting it, Babil responded with, “I love you brother.” Siddhant further wrote a note urging people to stop spreading negativity. “I usually never engage with s*** about me and my colleagues but this one is personal… All of us are working hard to bring drama to your screens. Maybe something’s missing there that you’re trying to find it in our personal lives. Peace out,” he wrote.
The statement released by Babil’s family reiterated that the viral video was taken out of context. “In the clip, Babil was sincerely acknowledging a few of his peers whom he believes are making meaningful contributions to 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,” it read.